


r - 



"•:•. \ 



' 




Class. 
Book_ 



WALTER R. STEINER 
COLLECTION 



\ » 



fEQUEST OF 
WALTER K. STEINER 
MM. 20, 1948 



CERTIFICATES. 



We, the undersigned, late prisoners of War at Andersonville, Ga 
Florence, S. C, and other places, do hereby certify that the work 
entitled l< Life and Death in Rebel Prisons," by Robert H. Kel- 
logg, is a faithful and reliable account of the inhuman course of 
treatment adopted by the Rebel Authorities toward us; and that 
the description of daily prison life, with its terrible sufferings and 
frightful mortality is in nowise an exaggeration. 

NAME, RANK, REGIMENT, AND PLACE OF IMPRISONMENT. 
Harvey L. Jewell, Hospital Steward loth N. Y. Cav., 

Andersonville and Florence. 
Pierre A. Guy, 1st Serg't Co. D 11th Conn. Vols., 

Andersonville, Savannah, and Millen. 
C. H. Brush, 1st SCrg't Co. K 1st Vt. H'vy Art., 

Andersonville and Florence. 
John W. Dickinson, 1st Serg't Co. L 1st Vt. H'vy Art., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 
Alexander Duncan, Serg't Co. K 103d Pa. Vols., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 
S. J. Griswold, Serg't Co. B 16th Conn. Vols., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 
Chas. Grey, Serg't Co. B 27th Mass. Vols., 

Andersonville, Savannah, and Millen. 
Henry E. Savage, Serg't Co. G 16th Conn. Vols., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 
Jas. Cooper, Corp. Co. A 103d Pa. Vols., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 
Jas. P. Cox, Private Co. B 1st N. J. Vols., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 
Chas. Tobias, Private Co. K 1st. Vt. H'vy Art., 

Andersonville, Savannah and Millen. 
Geo. Bowers, Priv. Co. F 8th N. J. Vols., Andersonville & Florence. 
Jeff. Moore, Priv. Co. C 23d Pa. Cav., " 

Walter Dixon, Priv. Co. C 11th N. J. Vols., " 
S. 0. Belleajeau, Priv. Co. D 4th do. " 

Pat. Bradley, Priv. Co. H 2d Mass. H'vy Art., " 
Rich. Patterson, Priv. Co. C 43d N. Y. Vols., " 
John Dunn, Priv. Co. G 101st Pa. Vols., 

Andersonville, Charleston, and Florence. 



LIFE AND DEATH 



IN 



EEBEL PEISONS 



GIVING A COMPLETE 

HISTORY OF THE INHUMAN AND BARBAROUS TREATMENT 
OF OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS BY REBEL AUTHORITIES, 
INFLICTING TERRIBLE SUFFERING AND FRIGHT- 
FUL MORTALITY, PRINCIPALLY AT 

ANDERSONVIILB, GA„ AND FLORENCE, S. C, 

DESCRIBING 

PLANS OF ESCAPE, ARRIVAL OF PRISONERS, "WTTII NUMEROUS AND 

VARIED INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF PRISON LIFE. 

BY 

KOBERT H. KELLOGG-, 

Sergeant-Major 16th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers. 



PREPARED FROM HIS DAILY JOURNAL. 



TO WHICH 18 ADDED 

AS FULL SKETCHES OF OTHER PRISONS AS CAN BE GIVEN WITHOUT 

REPETITION OF THE ABOVE, BY PARTIES WHO HAVE 

BEEN CONFINED THEREIN. 



• We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen.' 
ILLUSTRATED.- SOLD BY AGENTS ONLY. 



HARTFORD, CONN. 

L. STEBBINS 

18G5. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by 

L. STEBBINS, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the District of 
Connecticut. 



Printed by Wiley, Waterman, & Eaton, Hartford, Conn. 



WIDOWS, CHILDREN, FATHERS, MOTHERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, 

OF THE THOUSANDS OF BRAVE MEN 

WHO HATE LEFT THEIR HOMES IN THE MORNING OF LIFE J 

SUNDERED FAMILY AND SOCIAL TIES; 

ABANDONED CHERISHED ENTERPRISES AND BUSINESS SCHEMES, 

FOR THE PURPOSE OF 

MAINTAINING THE LAWS OF FREEDOM INVIOLATE, 

AND IN THE FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTY, 

HAVE BEEN CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY, 

AND GONE DOWN 

TO UNTIMELY GRATES THROUGH UNPARALLELED SUFFERINGS, 

IS THIS VOLUME MOST RESPECTFULLY 

DEDICATED. 



'THEY SLEEP IN SECRET,— BUT TBETR SOD 
UNKNOWN TO MAN, IS MABK'D BY GOD ! n _ t 



** to ^ 

the memory of 
the thousands 
of our brave 
soldiers who 
have sacrificed 
themselves upon 
the altar of their 
country, in de- 
fence of her laws 
and institutions ; 
her liberties and 
rights. With the 
courage and ardor 
of Patriots; with 
the enthusiasm of 
loyal subjects un- ' 
der a good Govern- 
ment ; with the in- 
telligence and zeal 
of Union-loving citi- 
zens, and an unself- 
ish devotion to the 
lofty principles of 
truth and justice, 
and« an eye upon the 
basis of a lasting 
peace. they went forth 
pledging " their lives 
and sacred honor, r ' in 
maintenance of the 
glorious cause. Many 
have languished and 
died in 1'iisons, and 
thus sleep the noble 
youth of our country ; 
the pride of the land ; 
the heroic sons of our 
wo r t h y sires, and the 
honored brave of our 
Spartan-likemothers. They 
have fallen. Like autumn 
leaves at touch of frost, 
they have been swept to 
the earth, where they lie 
in undistinguished piles 
The hearts of the people 
shall be their tombs, but 
marble and granite should be lifted 
high, as the testimonial of grateful 
mankind for the deeds they have 
done, and the radiant glory with 
which they have crowned the nation 

ANDERSONVILLE,MILLEN, CO 
LUMBIA. FLORENCE, TYLER 
SALISBURY, CAHAWBA, DAN 
VILLE,LIBBY,PEMBERTON 
CASTLE THUNDER BELLE ISLE 



PREFACE, 

No chapter in the history of our unhappy civil war, is so well 
calculated to enlist the sympathies of the people, as the one enumera- 
ting the sorrows of our brave soldiers who have been so unfortunate 
as to fall into the hands of the enemy, as prisoners of war. 

The multiplied woes of the battle-field ; the sufferings of the sick 
and wounded in Hospitals which our own Government has provided, 
are almost the enjoyments of Paradise, in comparison with the fearful 
and prolonged agonies of Prisoners in Rebel Stockades. 

Sad and mournful as it seems in the former case, there are mitiga- 
ting circumstances which tend to soothe the feelings as we contemplate 
them. Their sufferings are comparatively short, and during the season 
of their continuance they are surrounded by those who are assiduous 
in effort to provide comfort and relief. Agents of the various humane 
societies can reach them and do them good ; but in the latter case, they 
have passed the line which bars them from all these tilings. 

We are even forced to believe, by the treatment to which they have 
been subjected by their captors, that it was their deliberate intention to 
destroy them, and that too in the most aggravated manner. They 
have allowed them to become so reduced in clothing as to have scarcely 
rags for a covering; they have condemned them to hunger and thirst, 
pain and weariness, affliction and misery in every conceivable form, so 
that the helpless beings have looked upon the approach of the King of 
Terrors as the arrival of a welcome messenger that had come to bring 
them a happy release. 

When we consider these things, and our interest in, and relation to 
the cause which led them to peril their lives in this way, we can but 
feel that the public at large have a deep concern in these recitals. 

In the preparation of the present volume, we have had an eye, not 
so much to a literary production, as to a simple, truthful story of prison 



Vlll PREFACE. 

life; one which the survivors thereof should recognize as just, and 
the people of the country could accept as reliable and honest. 

It is no place for brilliant fiction and exciting romance. These have 
been scrupulously avoided, but nevertheless, there are tilings which are 
as strange as the former and stirring as the latter. 

If there are things which seem incredible, it is to be borne in mind 
that hitherto we have had but slight knowledge of what is meant to 
be a prisoner at the far South, and that these things come to us almost 
as new revelations. 

Not an incident has been given but what can be confirmed on good 
authority ; no coloring has been given to anything but what known 
facts would justify. 

The author has gone fully into detail of every-day life at Anderson- 
ville, as here was the spot where the climax of rebel barbarity was 
reached. 

It was the original design to have adopted a similar plan with refer- 
ence to some other prominent Prisons, but on consultation with differ- 
ent parties who had been discharged from these various points, it was 
found to be substantially the same, and would therefore be only repe- 
tition. 

The short sketches which we give of these, will enable the public to 
form a correct idea of the general system of treatment applied by the 
rebels to our soldiers who fall into their hands as prisoners. 

The spirited and striking illustrations which were obtained expressly 
for these pages ; the plans of prisons, &c, &c, are executed in a cred- 
ible style, and form an attractive feature of the whole. 

As the author had only a short furlough of thirty days, it became 
necessary to obtain a person accustomed to such work to prepare the 
manuscript for the press, and attend to the reading of the proof. In 
changing the style of the journal to a running narrative, the langauge is 
often difTerent from the original, but the facts are strictly observed. 

Publisher. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER 1. Page. 

Situation of Plymouth, ----- 21 

The Garrison ; Forts and Naval Fleet, - - - 22 

Sabbath Attack of the 17 th of April, 24 

First appearance of Cavalry Pickets in Town, - - 25 

The Federal Forces holding the Town ; Attack upon Fort Gray, 26 

Wives of Loyal North Carolinians sent to Roanoke Island, 27 

Wounding of Captain Burke, - - - - - 28 

Effect of National Airs at the Breastworks, - - 29 

Sinking the Southfield, ----- 30 

The Rebels charge upon Plymouth Redoubts, 32 
Gen. Hoke demands surrender ; the Federal Officer refuses, and 

the capture of his men is the result, - - 33 
March to Secessia ; Camping-ground at Night, - - 35 
Treatment of the 35th N. C. Regiment, as Guards, - 36 
Arrival at Williamstown, N. C. The Soldiers send letters North, 37 
Entrance into the yard of a man who had taken the oath of alle- 
giance to Uncle Sam, ----- 38 
Reflections the first Sabbath after the capture, - - 30 
The ranks searched for Rebel Deserters, - - - 40 
Yankee Trades to satisfy hunger, - - - - 41 
Prisoners sent to Goldsboro, N. C, - - - - 43 
The remainder sent from Tarboro, - - - 46 
Miserable Fare at Wilmington, - - - - 48 
Immense Fire kindled by a Soldier, - 49 

CHAPTER II. 

The First of May in Charleston, - - 50 

Reception of the "Plymouth Pilgrims," - - - 51 

The Georgia Central Railroad ; Arrival at Macon, - - 53 
The Regiment reach Andersonville ; manner in which they were 

classed and divided, ----- 55 

Fearful spectacle on entering the Prison, - - - [56 



12 CONTENTS. 

Rations; efforts to procure shelter ; Death's exchange, - 59 

Warnings of the old Prisoners concerning the "Dead Line, 1 ' Gl 
Gen. Cobb's Visit of Inspection ; Plan of Escape ; Elood-hound3 

put upon their track, ----- 64 

Narrow escape from Death, .... 65 

The Lawless Gang, called " Mosby's Raiders," in Prison, - 67 

The Lifeless Eudies of Ten Men lying at the Gate, - 69 
A Sick Man's Path in the Prison Stream, - - .70 

Demonstration at a Sham Fight, - - - 71 

Treatment oi' Prisoners by Rebels and Federals contrasted, - 73 

The eruel suspicious forced upon men, - - - 75 

True spirit of the Union Soldiers, - - - - 76 

Dopes excited by the Promise of Exchange, - - 77 
Account of the Battle between Grant and Lee, by the "Macon 

Telegraph," - - - - - 79 
A Rebel Officer calling for a Sergeant who could write his name, 80 

The Thirteen in a Hospital Tent, - - - - 81 

Rebel Forces sent to Dalton to oppose Sherman, ... 83 

Arrival of Prisoners ; slight attention to comfort, - 85 

CHAPTER III. 

The Rebels discover a Tunnel ; threats in consequence, - 87 

A Secret Organization to devise new Plans of Escape, - 88 

A Picnic among the "Johnnies," - - - 90 

New Prisoners robbed by the Prison Marauders, - - 91 

Richmond History, called "The Second Year of the War," 92 

The Messenger Rainbow, ----- 93 

Sabbath in Rebel Prison, ----- 94 

A Cripple shot for going inside the "Dead Line," - 95 

Death again in the Tent of the Thirteen ; a Prayer Meeting, 96 
Punishment for Violation of Orders, 
Captured Men from Resaca, - - - - 

Enlargement of the Prison Limits, - - - 

The Stockade undermined, ----- 103 

Disclosure of the Plot to Capt. Wirtz, - - - 104 

Notice of Captain posted upon the Prison Gate, - - 105 
The Men from Grant's Army robbed of Coats, Blankets, and 

Haversacks, - - - - - -106 

Energy of Character necessary for the Prisoner, - - 107 

Rebel Effort and Yankee Ingenuity, - - - - 109 



loo 
102 



CONTENTS. 13 



Manner of Distributing the Rations, - - - 110 

Camp Raiders and False Promises, - 

The "Old Dutchman," - 

Entrance of some of the lsi Mass. Regiment into Prison, 

The "Modus Operandi" of Tunneling, - 

A severe Rain Storm, - 

Jeff. Davis asking for an Armistice, 

Visit to the Woods, - 

Agitation of the Rebel Element, - 

Camp Surroundings, - - 

The caving of a Tunnel after being sunk ninety feet, 

Hints concerning Retaliation, - 

Measures to Retain Activity of Mind, - 

Question raised by suffering from Cold and Exposure, 



115 
117 
118 
122 
123 
126 
128 
131 
132 
134 
135 
138 



CHAPTER IV. 

Prisoners from Butler's and Grant's Army, with the Dog "Trip," 139 

A Yankee Traitor, 140 

Confidential Talk with a Union Man, ... 141 

A Man buried alive ; two Men wounded ; Gen. Sturgis, - 143 

Gold News from New York ; Corporal B , - - 144 

Reward for Shooting a Soldier, .... 146 

How the Remedies for the Sick were obtained, - - 147 
July 7th, the promised Day of Exchange, - - - 149 
Prisoners who had been Robbed, sent to Gen. Winder for set- 
tlement, ...... 15" 

Going for Wood ; Story of the Lost Knife, - - 1 '■■ 

An exciting Robbery ; one Man Killed, - - - 155 

The Rebel Quartermaster and Limber Jim, - .156 

Completion of the Addition to the Stockade, ,- - 157 

Night efforts of the Prisoners to obtain Fuel, - 158 

A School for Patience, - - - - - 159 

Discouragement leading to Insanity, - - - 162 

Prison Celebration of July 4th, - - - - 163 

Visit of the Catholic Priest, - - - - 163 

Meeting by the Brook-side, - - - - 165 

Death of J. Hoskins, - - - - - - 166 

Suffering for the want of Good Watei, - - - 168 

Sentence of Death by Hanging ; Escape of one of the Victims ; 

His Re-capture, - - - - - 171 



14 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 
Building a Mud Stove ; Capt. Wirtz declaring a new Outbreak 

disclosed, ...... 17T 

Sudden Marshaling of the Rebel Forces, - - - 178 

Preaching by Elder Shephard, - - - 180 

Last Hours of D , of the 16th Regiment, - - 181 

A Petition of the Prisoners, urging the President and Govern- 
ors of States to procure release for them, - - 182 
Within and Without, . - - - - - 183 
Men caught while at work in a Tunnel, - - - 185 
Bartering a Gold Pen for Food, - - - - 187 
A Vote upon the "Petition" called for, - - - 188 
Early's Cavalry Prisoners, - - • - -189 

White Flags, 190 

Attempt to entice Prisoners to make Shoes for the Confederate 

Government, - - - - - 191 

Conversation with one of the Rebel Guard, - - 192 

Peculiarities of Southern Dialect, - - - - 193 

Views of a Kentucky Surgeon upon Slavery, - - 194 

Service of a Confederate Chaplain, - - - 195 

Thunder Storms, - - - - - - 1 96 

Victim of Insanity in the Prison Stream; Various Forms of 

Derangement, - - - - - - 197 

A Living Man devoured by Maggots, - - - 198 

Lines on a Blank Leaf of a Bible, - - - - 199 

Sentiments of a " Secesh " Young Lady as written to her Lover, 200 

The Rebel Flag, 201 

Lieut. Strains and his Party, - - - - 203 

Organization of the Regimental Church, - - - 204 

Corporal Flower, of Hartford, Ct, - - - 206 

A Prisoner accidentally shot, - - - - - 208 

A Terrific Rain Storm, ... - - 209 

Risking Life to obtain Wood, - - - - 210 

CHAPTER VI. 

Confidence in the Government, - - - - 215 
Human Nature as manifest in the Confederacy ; Taunts of a cer- 
tain Officer of the Day, - - - - 218 
Intensity of Home Longings, - - - - 220 
Jimmy B , of Company A, - - - 221 



CONTENTS. 



15 



Photographic Artists from Macon, 

The appearance of Scurvy, - 

Joy at news of the arrival of Northern Letters, 

Effect of Peace Sensation Stories, - 

Sickness of Capt. Wirtz ; Character of his Successor, 

Visit of a Confederate Captain, - 

Personal attack of Scurvy, ... 

New Regime instituted by Lieut. Davis, 

Eebel Boastings of Prison Representatives, 

Queries upon conditions of Exchange, 

Return of the Prison Commandant, 

Kind Act of Gen. Winder, ... 

Demise of Orderly Sergeant L , of Co. C, 

Desire of the Prisoner to die at Home, 

The Day of Deliverance hailed with Joy, 

The dying Message of Evans, ... 

Loyal North Carolinians, - 

"Flanking out;" Orders to be ready for moving, - 

Sorrowful Thoughts induced by leaving, 

CHAPTER VII. 

Wide felt Interest in the Hospital, 

Its situation at Andersonville, ... 

Reluctance of the Men to enter so wretched a place, 

The miserable condition of the Sick, 

A Sacrifice seemingly useless, - 

Loyal Men treated like Convicts, - 

Character of Physicians, 

The Sick-call, ..... 

A Prisoner Shot while warming himself, 

Cruel manifestation of selfishness, - 

Rations for the Sick, .... 

Living Skeletons — variety of disease, 

Fearful working of Gangrene, 

The Sick Men tormented with Vermin, 

Rebel Testimony respecting Hospital Treatment, 

Tenacity of Life, ..... 

Incident in the life of D. S. Birdsell, - 

The Dead-House, ...... 

Marking and Numbering the Dead ; Manner of carrying 
out, - - 



278 



10 CONTENTS. 

Place of Burial, ...... 0*79 

Want and Woe leaving Devotion to the Union Cause unim- 
paired, - - - - - - - 231 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Departure from Prison, ..... 283 

Delight at beholding the Green Earth again, - - 284 
The Soldiers' Reception at Augusta ; Kindness of Mrs. O'Don- 

nell, ------- 286 

Interview with a Rebel Soldier, - - - - 287 

Entrance into Charleston ; the Men told it was but a hurried 

removal, ...... 289 

The Race Course appropriated as Camp Ground, - - 290 

Disappointment of the Men ; A New Organization, - - 292 

Xo escape from the " Dead Line," - 29-4 

Call of a Rebel Officer for Volunteers to do Service for them, - 295 

Sisters of Charity, ...... 296 

My admission into the Hospital, - - - - 29 9 

The reasonings of Faith to inspire Courage, - - 300 

Act that savored of Inhumanity to the Men, - - - 302 

A Scene in the Room for Amputation^ ... 304 

The Rebel Sutler and Ids Prices, .... 306 

A Rebel Soldier's Disobedience of Orders, - - 307 

Anecdote of the Young Surgeon, .... 308 

Union Song, - - - - - - 310 

Shelling of the City by Union Soldiers, - - - 311 

Appearance of the Yellow Fever; Humorous Incident, - 312 

Journey to Florence; Story of the Man who feigned Death, - 314 

The Darkie Woman and her Bread, - - - 315 

CHAPTER IX. 

Night Entrance into Florence ; Emotions at sight of the Stock- 
ade, 316 

Oath of Allegiance to the Confederacy, - - - 319 

Admission to the Florence Hospital through Dr. Strother, - 320 

Detailed as Hospital Steward ; Signing Parole of Honor, - 322 

Sentiments of Assistant Surgeon, Junius O'Brien, - - 323 

Supplies from the Sanitary Commission, ... 323 

Insufficiency of Medicines, ..... 324 

Dr. Garrett and the Plantation Burials, ... 325 



CONTENTS. 17 

The Doctor who was an Original Signer of the Secession Act, 326 

Exchange of Cotton for Potatoes, - - - - 327 

Excitement at the Presidential Election — Ballots and Beans, £29 

Barbarous Punishment at Florence for attempting to Escape, 331 

O'Brien's Instructions to the Prisoners, - 335 

Amusing Trade of a " Johnnie," - - - - 336 

Employment of Slaves, .... - 337 

Religious Element of the Negro, .... 338 

Character of their Songs ; Rev. Mr. Gardner, of the 135th Ohio 

Regiment, a Victim of Death, - 339 

Sad Reduction of Rations at the Hospital, - - 340 

Cruelty of Lieut. Barrett, - - - - - 3-11 

Thanksgiving Day as a Prisoner, - - - - 342 

Signing the Parole, -._-.- 343 

A Stolen Interview of two Rebels. ... 344 

Introduction to Savannah ; A Wealthy Cotton Factor ; The Pie 

Woman, ...... 347 

Saying of Dr. Orme to Steward Reed, of the 12th N. Y. Regi- 
ment, as he was leaving, .... 343 

What was felt at Sight of the Old Flag, - - - 350 

Receiving and Clothing Ship, ----- 351 

The Feeding Ship Crescent, ... - 352 

Manifestations of Joy by the Released Prisoners, - • 353 

Meeting with a Naval Vessel, ... - 355 

Weighing Anchor at Annapolis, . - - 356 

CHAPTER X. 

Situation of Libby ; its Name synonomous with Terror, - 358 

Abusive Treatment, ..... 360 

Men Shot for looking through the Window, - - - 363 

Description by E. Kirke, ..... 364 

Associations of Castle Thunder, .... 367 
The distinction made by Southerners between Gentlemen and 

Common People, ..... 368 

Glimpse at Belle Isle, - - - - - 369 

Story of Howard Leedom, - - - - - 371 

Men Frozen to Death, - 372 

The Natural Consequences of War, - - - - 373 

Original Design of Salisbury Prison, - - • 375 



18 



CONTENTS. 



Testimony of Mr. Richardson, • 
Description of it as viewed by Mr. Brown, - 
Imperfect Idea of Southern imprisonment, 

Raleigh a comparatively Favored Place, 
Kind Attention of the Union Ladies, - 



- 376 

382 

- 384 

385 

- 386 



Surroundings of Millen Prison, - - - 389 

Number confined there, ----- 390 

The fearful Mortality of the Place, - - 391 
Rations — their quantity and quality ; Inducements to join the 

Confederacy, - - - - - 392 

Excitement at the Presidential Election, ... 393 

Humanity of the Guards ; Barbarous Act of a Rebel Surgeon, 394 

Reason for a Hurried Removal, ... 395 

The Country's Sacrifice, 396 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Midnight Storm — Our Miserable Lodgings 

Stockade at Andersonville, - 

Blood Hounds Capturing Prisoners, 

Mode of Dealing Out Rations, 

Hanging Union Prisoners, 

Break in the Stockade, 

Plan of Hospital, Andersonville, 

Interior View of Hospital, - 

Plan of Stockade at Florence, - 

Hanging by the Thumbs, 

View of Libby Prison. 



.XIX1XXV 






- 1 




- 


- 


57 


- 






- 62 


- 


- 


- 


111 


- 






- 174 


. 


- 


- 


211 


. 






- 257 


. 


- 


- 


205 


. 






- 318 


. 


. 


- 


333 


• 






- 361 



IT 

THE PRINCIPAL REBEL PRISONS AM) WHERE LOCATED. 

Arulersonville, Sumpter County, Ga., known south as Camp Sumter. 

Milieu, Burke County, Ga., " " Camp Lawton. 

Columbia, Lexington County, S. C, " " Camp Sorghum, 

Florence, Darlington County, S. C. 

Tyler, Smith County, Texas, " " Camp Ford. 

Salisbury, Rowan County, N. C. 

Cahawba, Dallas County, Ala. 

Danville, Fottsylvauia County, Va. 

Libby, Richmond, Va. 

Femberton, Richmond, Va. 

Castle Thunder, Richmond, Va. 
Belle Isle, in James River, little below Richmond. 
Macon and Savannah, Ga., Charleston and Blackstone, S. C, and 
Raloigh, N. C, have oeen prison posts, but are now abandoned. 

In tbe absence of much data on the subject, we can not give any ac- 
curate account of the number of deaths in rebel prisons; yet if we 
give the subject a thought and go into some calculations, we may form 
a more correct opinion than we otherwise should. Mr. Richardson, 
correspondent of the New York Tribune, says the deaths at Salisbury, 
N. C, were 13 per cent, per month. Mr. Kellogg says it was 12 per 
cent, for the same time at Florence, S. C. The deaths were 13,000 at 
Andersonville. The author says nearly one-half of his regiment cap- 
tured, died in about seven months. If we assume that the prisoners 
will average 20,000 from January 1st, 1862, to February 1st, 1865, 
and the deaths to be 10 per cent, per month, or 2,000, then multiply 
by 37 months, we have 74,000 deaths. AVith such clothing, shelter, 
food, means of keeping clean and medical attendance as the laws of 
health absolutely require, would the deaths have been more than one- 
tenth the number? if not, we have, on the above estimate, 66,600 vic- 
tims of inhuman treatment. Our estimate of the number of prisoners 
may be too large. Richmond papers assert that 150,000 have entered 
Libby Prison. The per centage of deaths may be too large ; but al- 
lowing the estimates to be nearly right, the rebels have killed about as 
many in prisons as on the battle-field— whether designedly or not we 
leave the reader to judge. 



*/ 



LIFE IN EEBEL PRISONS. 



CHAPTER L 

SITUATION OF PLYMOUTH. 

On the Roanoke river in North Carolina, 
about eight miles from the Sound, lies the 
town of Plymouth, a place once important on 
account of its highly advantageous position as 
a depot, through which might pass, in trans- 
portation, the products of the State. 

Tar, rosin and pitch, the prominent and well- 
known articles of manufacture in this land of 
Pines were brought from all parts of the inte- 
rior to this point as a place of shipment, and 
consequently it came to be more or less identi- 
fied with the interests of the southern people; 
so that it was not strange they should make 
vigorous efforts to keep it in their possession, 
or failing in this for a time, would again renew 



22 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

their attempts to wrest it from the hands of 
their antagonists. 

Rather than its resources should be employed 
in enriching those they deemed their enemies, 
they sought its destruction by fire. It was 
partly saved, however, and by the force of cir- 
cumstances, afterward became appropriated as 
the most northern outpost of the U. S. forces 
in the State. Thus held, it was garrisoned by 
four regiments of infantry, one light battery, 
two companies of heavy artillery, and a few 
cavalry, all under command of Brig. Gen. H. 
W. Wessels, a noble officer and a brave man. 
Three forts — Gray, Williams and Wessels — 
offered grateful protection to these men, while 
Compher and Coneby redoubts, and a line of 
connecting breast works, afforded strong ground 
of hope that the position of an advancing foe 
might, at least, be rendered somewhat uncom- 
fortable by the peculiar greeting they might 
receive in consequence of these. Added to 
these, and designed to act in harmony with them 
was the naval fleet, consisting of the gunboats 
"Miami," "Southfield," " Ceres," " Whitehead," 
and "Bomb-shell," under command of Capt. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 23 

Flusser. So far as these were concerned, they 
certainly presented a formidable array of weap- 
ons with which to hurl missiles of deadliest 
intent against those who would murderously 
assail the devoted band of Unionists to whom 
was assigned the duty of keeping the place 
from invasion; but these, be they never so 
abundant, are fruitless, without the requisite 
hands to work them, as the sequel with its 
hopeless sorrows and regrets fully proved to us. 
But as familiarity with anything, even with 
danger, has a tendency to make that tolerable 
which was once highly forbidding, so while 
these things threw about us their friendly 
shadows, a feeling of comparative security 
took possession of our minds, and fancy rev- 
eled in safety; a state suggestive of that of 
the ancient worthies, who, in order to escape 
their persecutors, retired to' the secret caves 
of the mountains — the strength of the hills 
their covert ; the voiceless woods their guard ; 
the deep-toned thunder their music; their 
rocky depths only illuminated as the kindly 
sun shed pitiful gleams by day, and the stars 
came out in solemn parade at night, to assure 



24 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

them that the might of Truth should eventu- 
ally conquer their foes, and let the burdened 
free. 

But we were not suffered long to cherish 
the illusions of fancy, for we soon found our- 
selves in a condition to yield to the sudden 
impulse of stern necessity, and battle for that 
which was temporarily our kingdom and our 
crown. 

THE ATTACK. 

The morning of the 17th of April, 1864, 
dawned upon us in our warlike retreat in all 
the beauty and loveliness with which nature 
is wont to adorn herself at such a season of 
the year. It was the hallowed day of the 
seven; — a time when the mind of the soldier 
naturally reverts to other scenes and other 
days, when it soothes itself by the remem- 
brance of quiet services in home sanctuaries 
where no sights or sounds give evidence of 
war, except it be of that moral conflict which 
the individual is called upon to wage silently 
with the hosts unseen. Guard-mounting was 
witnessed as usual, and at the roll-call sixteen 
hundred men were reported for duty. All 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 25 

necessary positions being occupied, the rest 
were at liberty to follow their inclinations, 
and as mine sent out their sweet invitations 
to repair to the sacred temple, I obeyed, and 

listened to a sermon from the Rev, Mr. B , 

Chaplain of the 101st Pennsylvania Volun- 
teers, in the morning, and in the afternoon 
went to Grace Church, one of those places 
still left open to lure the feet of the Christian 
warrior, where he may calmly consider the 
prospect of ultimate victory and success in 
the holiest warfare in which man can engage ; 
— a consideration always attended by that 
other thought, that second to this only is the 
national strife in which his whole energies are 
enlisted, and which he is bound by every prin- 
ciple of honor and justice to maintain, until 
the coveted issue shall make it no longer a 
necessity. 

Just at the close of the services, and shortly 
before the hour for Dress Parade, while yet 
the impressions of the day were thick about 
us, the cavalry pickets came dashing into town, 
having been driven in by the rebels. Artil- 
lery and cavalry were immediately sent out 



26 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

to ascertain the strength of the enemy, but 
they soon returned, reporting a short engage- 
ment with a superior number, in which one of 
their men were killed, and a Lieutenant badly 
wounded. It soon became manifest that we 
were to be fearfully pressed, as three brigades 
of infantry were bearing down upon us, to- 
gether with a heavy siege train of artillery, 
manned by a revengeful foe who were eager 
to take possession of the town, and send us to 
homes they had provided in mercy not partic- 
ularly tender. With us were the 85th N. Y., 
commanded by Fardella, an Italian officer, the 
101st P. V., together with the 103d of the 
same State, under Col. Lehman ; the 24th N. 
Y. Independent Battery, under the direction 
of Capt. Cady; two companies Mass. heavy 
artillery, Capt. Sampson, and a slight force of 
the 12th N. Y. cavalry. 

An attack was made upon Fort Gray, a 
mile or so above the town on the river, and 
as the shot and shell came swiftly down to us 
upon their death-fraught errands, our quick- 
ened apprehensions were not slow in discover- 
ing the propriety of using all available means 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 27 

for safety. One of the latter striking near 
the tent of Capt. Morse, reminded us of the 
thought, that, especially in war, 

There is but a step 'tween life and death, 

One moment life's pulses play, the next, soul is gone with the breath. 

In anticipation of the battle the women 
and children of the town were placed on 
board the steamer " Massasoit," bound for 
Eoanoke Island, among which were the wives 
of loyal North Carolinians ; of men whose 
attachment to the Union cause could not be 
broken by threats ; whose devotion to the 
government whose fostering care they had 
long enjoyed, nothing could quench, and there- 
fore they had enrolled themselves as among 
the truest soldiers of the Federal cause w T hen 
the crisis appeared, and there was no alterna- 
tive but to do or die ; — to be free or ruled 
with despotic power. To this place, whither 
these were sent as a place of refuge, Co. H 
of our own regiment, the 16th Ct., had gone 
in the morning, for the purpose of relieving 
some other troops, and were thus fortunate 
enough to escape the attack, the while, suppos- 
ing we were resting under the silent wing of 
2 



28 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

peace, when war's chosen arrows were flying 
thick and fast about us. 

The morning following this first outbreak 
we were aroused from our slumbers before 
sunrise by the roar of cannon, and the dis- 
turbance occasioned; the half-conscious state 
of the mental faculties which was speedily 
induced, made it seem that what was strug- 
gling for prominence was the idea that it was 
decided incivility on the part of the "rebs" 
to prompt such early rising. But what was 
wanting in dimness of vision for a moment 
was soon made up in the keenness which we 
felt inclined to exercise in the survey of things 
about us. Everything began to look dark, 
and signs were fearfully ominous of what was 
approaching. About 7 o'clock, Capt. Burke 
came in from the skirmish line in front, 
wounded in the shoulder. Firing was heard 
at intervals through the day, but no general 
advance until nearly dark, when the enemy 
came pouring in from the woods in great 
numbers, and charged upon our line of skir- 
mishers with their characteristic yell. 

The few, of course having no chance before 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 29 

the many, they retired within the fortifica- 
tions, when the exultant foe rapidly wheeled 
a battery into position, and under its destruc- 
tive influence our beautiful camp was soon 
completely riddled, and Fort Williams pretty 
effectually silenced. 

At this juncture, Lt. Col. Burnham ordered 
the Band to the breast-works, and bade them 
strike up some national airs, and though they 
might not have been particularly edifying to 
the gray-robed legions without, the spirit- 
stirring strains were in no wise lost upon the 
hearts of our own boys. Brave hearts became 
braver, and if the patriotism of any waxed 
cold, and the courage of any faltered, they 
here grew warmer and stronger until pride of 
country had touched the will, and an indom- 
itable principle had been kindled that virtu- 
ally declared the man a hero until death. It 
was with something of this new-imparted 
energy that our scanty forces were able, by 
the use of means still in their possession, to 
silence their opposers, and make it convenient 
for them to retreat ; but supposing they would 
speedily rally and come down upon us with 



30 LIFE LN REBEL PRISONS. 

new strength and ardor, we continued on the 
w T atch, relaxing not through the whole night. 
Snatching a few moments in the interval of 
quiet, I ran over to my tent, — a place, strange 
as it may seem, around which some fond asso- 
ciations clustered, and you, ye soldier-reader, 
can alone tell how sadly I felt when I saw 
rude marks that bore unequivocal testimony 
that it had been visited by one of those un- 
sought and unwelcome bodies — a shell. Yes ! 
in my absence it had found both ingress and 
egress, but as there is never any thing so dark 
but what there is light not far off, either 
behind or above it, so 1 consoled myself with 
the reflection that it had its way alone, and I 
was not there for its entertainment. 

Notwithstanding the temporary success, the 
third day after the attack had things in a bad 
plight for us. The "rebs" had come into pos- 
session of Fort Wessels, and their iron-clad 
ram, the "Albemarle," had found its way down 
the river, passing our batteries without being 
molested, sunk the "Southfield" and driven off 
the rest of the navy. Every hour our pros- 
pect grew darker and our hopes weaker, for 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 31 

the men were completely exhausted by con- 
tinual duty through the clay, and as constant 
watching by night. Our garrison was so 
small that all hands were required at the 
breast-works, and even then, it was altogether 
insufficient for the work. Intense were our 
longings for reinforcements, but the threaten- 
ing "Albemarle" kept any from coming to our 
relief, and we began seriously to think of a 
march to Kichmond, Va., and the registry of 
our names at her famous Libby Hotel. Not 
particularly inclined to take such a journey, 
we resolved to wait until there was no further 
hope, and at half past one we were furnished 
with intrenching tools and told to work for our 
lives in building bombproofs, traverses, &c, and 
in a comparatively short time we were sheltered 
from the fire of the enemy, which was coming 
into our rear from their engine of death upon 
the river. Towards evening, having posted a 
line of pickets and reserve, I went over to my 
tent, hoping to gain a moment's slumber, but 
the increased cannonading having by no 
means a soothing effect, I returned again to 
the breast-works, where many a weary, way- 



32 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

worn comrade was to watch through the night, 
although "tired nature" pleadingly called for 
some "sweet restorer T Long before daybreak 
the enemy, under cover of the cannon's roar, 
advanced up the Columbia road and with wild 
cheers and yells charged upon the two re- 
doubts which formed our protection upon the 
east side of the town. After a short, but 
bloody and decisive conflict they accomplished 
their object, and flushed with their success 
they came clown through the camp of the 
101st P. V., upon our regiment, evidently 
thinking there could be no barrier to what- 
ever they should attempt to do; but their 
bravery was met by a corresponding principle 
on the part of our boys, and they were re- 
pulsed with great loss to them, yet a slight 
advantage could do but little for us at this 
time, for the rebels had possession of Fort 
"Wessels, the two redoubts on the Columbia 
road, and the entire river side of the village. 
From this position they were pouring a terri- 
ble fire into our rear. Six very fine horses on 
a caisson near me were shot down in quick 
succession, and many of our men were sadly 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 33 

wounded. At this time two or three officers 
came in, bearing a flag of truce, with a demand 
from Gen. Hoke for the surrender of the town 
and its garrison. After a short consultation 
the demand was refused by our General, and 
the fight went on, though with abated vigor 
on our part, as we were thoroughly exhausted 
by our previous labors. The refusal, however, 
soon brought them down in force upon us, 
leaving no alternative but to surrender, 
although it was done with no willing grace, 
yet it could but be attended with the con- 
sciousness that we had tried the virtue of re- 
sistance to the utmost. 

THE CAPTURE. 

We were at once marched out of town to 
their reserve picket force, on the Washington 
road, where we remained for the night, being 
allowed to retain our blankets, overcoats, and 
indeed all that we had with us, excepting, of 
course, our arms and equipments. I saw but 
one instance of robbery at the beginning, and 
that was by an officer, evidently in a state of 
intoxication. Riding up to one of our boys, 
he drew his sword and demanded his watch, 



34 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

using threatening and insulting language, and 
declaring he would split open his head if he 
refused. Of course, there was no way but to 
yield. 

Here we wrote hasty letters to our friends, 
which we hoped by some good fortune to send 
to them, on the route, or at least at the end 
of our march, — 

For none will e'er forget Ins friends, 

If his heart be true and tender ; 
Though adverse gales blow swift and long, 

Love's tics we'll still remember. 

On the morning of the 21st we awoke to 
new experiences. Instead of the calls to 
which we had been wont to listen, and the 
labor we had been accustomed to perform, we 
were but passive beings, subject to the will of 
a conqueror. In the early part of the day, 
rations were issued to us for four days, consist- 
ing of twenty-five hard crackers, and about 
two pounds of raw salt pork each. They were 
from the provisions taken with the town, and 
consequently were of good quality, although 
we did not particularly relish taking from 
their hands what, a few hours previously we 
had counted our own, but we remembered that 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 35 

prisoners, like a ~b eggars, mus'nt be choosers," 
and that there was no way bnt to succumb as 
cheerfully as circumstances would allow. Our 
own regiment was over four hundred strong, 
and the whole number captured at the surren- 
render, 2,197, so that we were quite a com- 
pany, doomed to the miseries of rebeldom. 

About noon we took up our line of march 
for the interior of Secessia, and kept on until 
nine in the evening, making a distance of sev- 
enteen miles, having passed through the vil- 
lages of Foster's Mills and Jamesville, both of 
which were visited by our troops some time 
before under Maj. Gen. Foster, when he made 
his rade from Newbern to Whitehall and Kin- 
ston. Many white, ghost-like chimneys were 
still standing to mark the former abodes of the 
chivalry. At night our stopping place was in a 
corn-field by the road-side and our bed the 
places between the furrows, but lying on the 
cold, bare ground was no new experience for us, 
for we had often been dependent upon mother 
earth for a resting place, and the time and cir- 
cumstances had also been when we had been 
more willing to "wrap the drapery of her 0011011" 



36 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

about us, and we could have lain down to 
"pleasant dreams!' Now, with wet, cold feet, 
gained by fording many a creek through the 
day, our situation was not very enviable, and 
it is not strange if visions of downy beds came 
floating over the minds of some on that event- 
ful night. 

The 35th N. C. constituted our guard, and 
we can say of them what can not be said of all 
the Southern troops, that they were a gentle- 
manly set of fellows, and treated the Northern 
soldier with some consideration. To have 
seen us through the day one would have sup- 
posed that we were the captors and they the 
prisoners, for as we were "marching along" 
we sung that song which usually fills with 
such strange significance on the ears of sensa- 
tive Southerners — 

"John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave,' 1 &c, 

Crowds of women and children lined the 
roadside, apparently eager to get even a glimpse 
of the '• Yankees," of whom they had heard 
such fearful things, but we marked what 
seemed to us a look of surprise, as they sur- 
veyed what was unquestionably a set of de- 
cent, respectable looking fellows. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 37 

The next day we marched, with very little 
rest, until half past one, when we arrived at 
Williamston, N. C. Here we were conducted 
to a large pine grove by the road-side, and 
allowed to rest quite a little time. As before, 
a large concourse of women and children 
gathered to witness the strange sight, and in 
view of it find myself recording a paragraph 
like this — "Wonder what they think of us! 
I don't care what the ugly looking ones think, 
especially those who chew snuff, but I do hope 
the good looking ones don't hate us." 

The village post-master came about among 
us, promising to mail letters for us, so we soon 
loaded him clown with short letters, containing 
tidings of our fate to the dear ones at home, 
which we ardently hoped might reach them 
to relieve them of anxiety, or, at least, of sus- 
pense, and dispel the uncertainty which would 
otherwise exist to torture them. 

After our short but grateful rest, we started 
again, marching until sunset, when we halted 
and went into camp in a grass field, and as we 
filed in, each man helped himself to a rail, so 
that the entire fence was soon appropriated 



38 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

as fuel for our evening fires. Our guards 
made no objection to it, but on the whole 
seemed to think it quite a good joke on our 
part. Water was plenty by the road-side, and 
after making some "crust coffee" and eating 
some hard-tack and raw pork, we spread our 
blankets upon the ground and slept peacefully 
and well, fearing no very ill treatment from 
men who had showed so much consideration 
as to pitch a tent for the accommodation 
of one poor sick sufferer. After this night, 
our early morning ablutions were performed 
at a little brook, this followed by a scanty 
breakfast, and we fell in with the alreadjr mov- 
ing column, feeling in excellent condition, 
physically, at least. At nine o'clock we 
reached Hamilton, and were introduced into 
the yard of a man who had once taken the 
oath of allegiance to Uncle Sam, but who was 
now very glad of the opportunity to bake 
poor corn-bread, or "pone," as the southerners 
say, and sell it to us for $5.00 a loaf. At this 
place we bade adieu to our N. C. guards, with 
some regret, for they had treated us well, and 
we had yet to learn the spirit of those who 
were to take their places. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 39 

Nevertheless, our little squad of Co. A boys 
was bound to make the best of it, and select- 
ing a pleasant spot, we put our things upon 
the ground in the order in which we expected 
to sleep, and then resorted to various expedi- 
• ents for amusement. There was "right smart 
of trading" went on between our boys and 
the Johnnies, some of the trades causing con- 
siderable merriment. • 

The 24th was the Sabbath, and what strange 
vicissitudes one short week had wrought for 
us. In not many things could we say it was 
a blessed contrast. Then we were free, now 
we were prisoners ; — then we had plenty of 
food and comfortable shelter, now we had 
neither, or at least but little to satisfy our 

hunger. My friend, Sam B , and myself, 

managed to make out what we called a break- 
fast, with the few scraps that we had left of 
our four days' rations, but the change was per- 
haps quite as keenly felt in the blighting of 
hopes as in anything. Plymouth was lost. 
We had hoped to save it for the Union side, 
but it was gone, and mourning was useless. 
It only remained for us to travel on until our 



40 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

foes were satisfied. Not even the hours of 
holy time could be our own, but on, and still 
on, was the watchword. During the forepart 
of the day the people of the surrounding 
country gathered about us, it being their day 
for visiting and recreation. About noon we • 
were to start for Tarboro, a distance of twenty- 
two miles, but a little before the time came 
some of the officers and men formed a group 
and sang "Home, sweet home," "Sweet hour 
of Prayer," and many other beautiful hymns, 
richly suggestive of homes on earth, and 
home in heaven. Our captors evidently 
thought it a strange and novel scene. 

After forming our line in the road, ready 
for marching, the ranks were searched for de- 
serters from the rebel army, a number of 
whom were detected and taken away. They 
had entered our service a long time before and J 
were captured with us. We never knew their 
fate, but suppose them to have been shot. 
After this inspection we pursued the way our 
guards were treading, making twelve miles 
before nightfall, in season to seek the hospi- 
tality of pine woods near by. It rained some, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 41 

but making a sort of tent of our blankets, we 
concluded to let heaven and earth take care 
of us as best they could. 

An easy march of ten miles brought us, on 
the morrow's noon, to the place of our imme- 
diate destination. The camp assigned us here 
was by a river-side, near the bridge. We 
were counted as we proceeded to pass through 
an immense crowd, of both sexes and all 
classes, who seemed to have congregated for 
no other purpose but to examine and criticise 
us, poor unfortunates. 

Our boys were nearly starved, and before 
rations could be procured they bartered away 
clothing, gold rings and pens, in short, what- 
ever they had, for a bit of something to eat. 
Five dollars in Confederate money would buy 
a piece of corn bread, baked with little or no 
salt, of the size of a man's hand, and for a 
small piece of pie I gave the last " greenback" 
dollar I had in the world. The citizens were 
perfect extortioners and robbers, but most of 
them so ignorant they could easily be im- 
imposed upon, and in consequence, our boys 
played some very sharp tricks upon them. 



42 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Sometime before the capture of Plymouth, 
our forces made a raid into Elizabeth City, 
and some of the men breaking into the Far- 
mers' Bank at that place, appropriated to 
themselves a large number of unsigned certifi- 
cates of deposit. These were made to serve 
us a good turn in our extremity. They were 
now filled out with any names that came con- 
venient, and passed with the greatest readi- 
ness as good, sound money. 

One man had a watch chain, made of brass, 
made in imitation of Uncle Sam's gold dollars, 
linked together, and after a brightening pro- 
cess, to make it resemble as nearly as possible 
the valuable coin, it brought in the fortunate 
possessor a small fortune in Confederate 
money. 

The distribution of rations soon claimed 
our attention to the exclusion of everything 
else, as the "inner man" was sadly in need of 
refreshment. 

These consisted of a cup of meal, the same 
quantity of black peas, and a small piece of 
bacon for each man. Kettles and wood were 
supplied to us, and making lively use of these, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 43 

we soon had something to eat once more, after 
which we retired to rest as happy as men 
could be in such a condition. 

'-True happiness" says Addison, "is of a 
retired nature," and so far we might have real- 
ized the idea of the man of letters, but we 
felt not quite like saying " Celestial happiness," 
for many felt their repose would be slightly 
more u divine" could they pillow their heads 
upon other than Confederate soil. 

Two-thirds of the prisoners were sent to 
Goldsborough, N. C, the next day, on their 
way, as it was said, to Charleston. Each man's 
name, rank and regiment, was taken as he 
filed out of the guarded enclosure, consequently 
they made slow progress in the work, and our 
regiment, from its position, could not come in 
with those who were to leave that day. Em- 
ployment diverts the mind, so we betook our- 
selves to the cooking of our rations, which 
were more justly distributed than on the day 
before, and also to make preparation, as best 
we could, for the satisfaction of hunger while 
on the journey we supposed would be taken 
on the morrow. 



44 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

How far back in the past then seemed our 
day of New England comforts, but the present 
claimed our energies, and we thought our- 
selves in a fair way to become somewhat 
skilled in the art of making corn-dodgers, espe- 
cially if we should abide long in Southern soci- 
ety. Trading was brisk as ever through that 
day, although at one time the Confederate 
soldiers were forbidden by their officers from 
taking any more " greenbacks," as there was a 
law making it a crime for a Southerner to pos- 
sess or attempt to pass them; but in spite of 
the order they were still glad to take them 
when they could do it without fear of detec- 
tion. We were told by the men in authority 
that we would probably leave at noon, but 
noon came, and the shades of evening gathered 
about us also, without any signs of leaving, so 
that there remained nothing for us but to 
compose ourselves to the idea of staying 
another night upon our miserable camping 
ground. To add to our discomfort, the bacon 
dispensed was not of the sioeetest variety, but 
we were prisoners, and must not be expected 
to grumble at any bad treatment, but we 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 45 

knew memory would be faithful to her trust 
in its remembrance, and the feeling of retalia- 
tion excited, we felt quite sure would find ex- 
pression if any future time allowed the oppor- 
tunity. During the day saw a copy of the 
Eichmond Examiner, giving an account of our 
capture and the taking of the town, in a man- 
ner not very flattering to us, but the sadness 
occasioned was somewhat overborne by the 
intelligence almost simultaneously received, 
that the rebels had been foiled in their attack 
upon Newbern, and their iron-clad ram " the 
Neuse," blown up. 

The indolence and monotony which charac- 
terized these days was unpleasant in the ex- 
treme. Sometimes we found little variety in 
spicy debates with rebel officers, upon the war 
and slavery. They seemed to be very fond 
of arguing with us, although our boys almost 
invariably got the better of them. 

For a little time small squads were allowed 
to go out for wood, under guard, and I was 
fortunate enough to belong to one of these 
parties, and right glad was I to get away from 
our filthy surroundings, and breathe the pure, 



46 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

fresh air of heaven, as it swept through the 
woods. Its influence was really exhilarating 
to spirit as well as body. Coupled with this 
was the information that we might be ex- 
changed in a few days, and altogether hope 
became quite buoyant. Some cars appeared 
in our vicinity, and it began to look a little 
like departure. The possibility of its truth 
was inspiriting, although we knew not what 
change would bring to us, but of one thing 
we were certain, that a prisoner's life in the 
South had more of unpleasant reality than 
romance. That night it was very cold, and 
with but one blanket between two, it was im- 
possible to keep comfortably warm, but hearts 
were animated by the thought of our 

DEPARTURE FROM TARBORO. 

About seven o'clock in the morning, it now 
being the 29th, the welcome order came, "get 
ready to leave? but, as usual, our regiment was 
the last to be on the way. The street through 
which we passed on our march to the depot 
was very beautiful, and we all agreed it was 
the prettiest place we had seen in the South. 
It is the county seat of Edgecomb County, 



LIFE IX REBEL PRISONS. 47 

situated upon the banks of the Tar river, and 
must have been a place of some importance 
before the war. It is in railroad connection 
with the South by a short branch road which 
strikes the Weldon road at a little place called 
Eocky Mount. 

The train left at 10 o'clock, and we had 
a fair ride until night, when we became so 
weary we longed for a little sleep ; — to lose 
ourselves in grateful unconsciousness for a 
little while, but we found there was not room 
for us all even to sit down, much less to place 
our bodies in such a position as to experience 
anything like rest, for there were forty-seven 
prisoners and five or six guards crowded into 
a box car, and a small one at that. Soon after 
dark the doors were shut by order of the 
officer of the guard, — Capt. Johnson, of the 
28th Georgia, and we passed a most miserable 
night, nearly smothered, and pressed almost 
out of all shape. 

We passed Pikeville, and some other places 
of little note, on the way to Goldsborough. 
Here we stopped some time, and drew rations 
for the next twenty-four hours, receiving three 



48 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

small hard crackers and a little scrap of bacon 
to subsist on for that time. It was very 
evident our enemies did not intend we 
should suffer from being over fed. 

At midnight we reached Wilmington, where 
the guard availed themselves of the opportu- 
nity to do something for their own comfort. 
They alighted, kindled fires, and had a good 
time all to themselves, while we, poor crea- 
tures, were obliged to stay in our wretched 
car until morning. Soon after sunrise we 
were ordered from our miserable confinement 
and marched down to the dock, where a ferry- 
boat was in waiting to convey us to the oppo- 
site side. We landed on a large lumber dock, 
where we made a stay of several hours, during 
which time we received our allowance for 
twenty-four hours more ; this time obtaining 
a small loaf of sour wheat bread, no larger 
than a man's fist, and some bacon that smelled 
so badly that, hungry as we were, we left it 
upon the ground untouched. "Is there any 
excuse for this treatment here under the very 
shadow of one of the wealthiest cities of the 
South ?" was the question we asked ourselves, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 49 

and the reply dictated by reason was, " there 
can not he ; it is equally inexcusable and in- 
human." 

Three large blockade runners were lying 
at the docks on the Wilmington side; very 
sharp, rakish looking steamers, painted gray- 
ish white, in order not to be seen at a distance 
when at sea. While gazing at them we sud- 
denly heard heavy and rapid firing in the dis- 
tance, the intent of which was soon ascer- 
tained in the return of a handsome steamer 
with the Confederate flag floating in the 
breeze, it having been repulsed in an attempt 
to run out at the mouth of the river. 

A short time before our arrival the place 
had suffered from an immense fire. Kemains 
of buildings and docks were still smoking; and 
burning. One of the prisoners who went 
through in advance of us, placed a lighted 
pipe in a bale of cotton, and before it was 
discovered the fire had made too much pro- 
gress to be easily arrested. The loss was esti- 
mated to have been about six millions of dol- 
lars, one million of which belonged to the Con- 
federate government. 



50 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Our companionship with lumber was broken 
by orders to embark for Charleston. Our 
Asthmatic locomotive had a great time in 
climbing a steep grade near the city, but after 
an untold amount of whistling and screaming 
it succeeded in pulling us up and sending us 
away on our journey. We passed several 
trains loaded with troops, either on their way 
to Lee's army or to Newbern. 



CHAPTER II. 

ARRIVAL IN CHARLESTON. 

The first of May in the land of our birth is 
generally considered, especially by the young, 
as a day to be honored above many others, as 
it is the harbinger of glad summer days to 
come, but all former customs with us seemed 
to have been reversed, and the great question 
on its anniversary under a Southern sky, was, 
how to make even existence itself, not com- 
fortable, but simply tolerable. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 51 

In the forenoon of the day we were trans- 
ferred to another train, and another guard of 
Georgia troops placed over us. We were put 
upon platform cars, a position in which to 
enjoy fresh air, besides afording an oppor- 
tunity to take a comprehensive survey of 
the scenery as we passed along. As we 
entered the city, it was very fine. Handsome 
live oak trees lifted their venerable heads, 
fringed with gray moss ; flowers with varied 
hue were in full blossom, and princely resi- 
dences were scattered here and there, giving 
an air of pleasantness to the whole, and but 
for the peculiar associations connected with 
the circumstance of our being there just then, 
we might have enjoyed a stroll about some of 
the inviting paths. In some of the gardens 
they were picking green peas, while at home 
we supposed them scarcely planted. It was 
the Sabbath, and great crowds of people 
thronged the street corners to stare at the 
"Plymouth Pilgrims," as the city papers sar- 
castically called us. Among them were many 
Union people whose unmistakable expressions 
of sympathy did us much good, for we had 
3 



52 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

expected nothing but taunts and insults, espe- 
cially in this a hot-bed of secession" 

One aged lady watched for an opportunity, 
and in a moment when the guard had their 
attention diverted in another direction, she 
came up to the side of the cars and gave us 
something to eat, at the same time commisera- 
ting our situation. Nowhere else in the Con- 
federacy had we experienced anything like 
this, and probably its repetition would seldom, 
if ever, occur again. We left this city, having 
Savannah, in Georgia, for our next destina- 
tion, and while crossing the railroad bridge we 
had a glimpse of Fort Sumter in the distance. 
It was intensely tantalizing to our spirits to 
be so near our forces, and yet prisoners and 
helpless. Our ride, notwithstanding, we 
acknowledged to be splendid, and we made 
quite good time, but just before the end of 
our route, we were overtaken by a rain storm 
which proved slightly inconvenient in our 
unsheltered condition. 

At Savannah we changed cars for Ander- 
sonville, which place was to be our theatre of 
action for an indefinite time. But thirty-five 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 53 

were put into a car this time, thus giving us 
room for the requisite expansion for comfort 
and a space in which to rest, which we gladly 
improved. We traveled one hundred miles 
that night upon the Georgia Central road. 
It is built upon strong pieces of timber, kept 
in very good repair, and apparently in excel- 
lent condition. Painted signs by the road- 
side informed us that the track was of Ameri- 
can rails on one side, and English upon the 
other ; it being done as a sort of test of the 
superiority of one over the other. They 
were laid in 1857. 

At station No. 13 the train stopped quite a 
long while, and we were allowed to wash in 
a brook near by ; to receive very good rations 
— so good, that we thought we should be 
fortunate if we could have those equally fair 
in our place of imprisonment. The country 
in this vicinity was very pleasant, much finer 
than anything we had yet seen in our "pil- 
grimage." 

At 4, P. M. we arrived at Macon, a beautiful 
city, built upon high ground, and in general 
appearance much resembling Hartford, Ci We 



54 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had a very good view of it as we approached 
it upon the cars, and had some sport in point- 
ing out the Pearl Street Church, Touro Hall, 
&c. Ah ! if in reality we could see the church 
spires of this New England city again, how 
happy we should be, was the thought that 
very naturally came into our minds, and if we 
had indulged in gloomy forebodings there 
would also have been the sad conviction that 
many a comrade would doubtless close his 
eyes upon all that was earthly, ere we should 
turn our feet again to the land from whence 
we came. 

We stopped two hours at Macon, and surely 
"ignorance is bliss" for had we known the 
fearful sights that were shortly to meet our 
gaze, reluctance to proceed would have been 
doubly sure. The rebel officers gave us 
favorable descriptions of the location of the 
prison ; speaking of it as being situated in a 
healthy part of the country, with a fine stream 
of water running through it, and as to food, 
assuring us that we would fare well on account 
of the richness of the State, it not being 
impoverished like many parts of the South. 



LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 55 

At nine o'clock we were able to chronicle 
our 

ARRIVAL AT ANDERSONVILLE, 

or rather at the station, for there is no village, 
and the prison is nearly a mile out from this. 
This place, so notorious in the history of the 
war, is situated in Sumter Co., about sixty-five 
miles southwest from Macon, and fifty from 
the Alabama State line. We were counted as 
we left the cars, and then marched a short dis- 
tance from the depot, where we remained all 
night, surrounded by a line of fires and a 
heavy guard. Here we heard terrible stories 
of small-pox being prevalent in the prison, 
and also about the "dead line" which was 
death to any one who should step over it, but 
even then we thought they might be trying 
to frighten us. 

We were aroused from our slumbers the 
next morning at an early hour, and called to sub- 
mit to the orders of a bustling officer, dressed 
in Captain's uniform, who did his work with a 
great deal of swearing and threatening, divi- 
ding us into messes of ninety men each, each 
mess to be in charge of a sergeant, who should 



56 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

call the roll every morning, draw the rations, 
and receive an extra one himself for his 
trouble. Three "nineties" constituted a de- 
tachment, which was also in charge of a ser- 
geant. Thus classed, and our names taken, 
we were marched off to the prison. As we 
came near it, we found it to consist of twelve 
or fifteen acres of ground, enclosed by a high 
stockade of hewed pine logs, closely guarded 
by numerous sentinels, who stood in elevated 
boxes overlooking the camp. 

As we entered the place a spectacle met 
our eyes that almost froze our blood with 
horror, and made our hearts fail within us. 
Before us were forms that had once been active 
and erect ; — stalwart men, now nothing but 
mere walking skeletons, covered with filth and 
vermin. Many of our men, in the heat and 
intensity of their feeling, exclaimed with 
earnestness, "Can this be hell?" "God protect 
us !" and all thought that He alone could bring 
them out alive from so terrible a place. In 
the center of the whole was a swamp, occupy- 
ing about three or four acres of the narrowed 
limits, and a part of this marshy place had 



.AJ^DERSONVIZilLE STOCKADE, 




1. Stockade. 

2. "Dead Line." 

3. Brook. 
4 Swamp. 

5. Rebel Suttlers. 

6. BAKE-nousE for Corn-bread. 

7. Cook-house for Bacon, Beans 
8 & 9. Entrances. 



EXPLANATION. 

10 & 11. Outer Stockades. 

12 Earthwork Fortifications. 

13. Location of Hospital. 

14 Place where the Surgeons pre- 
scribed FOR THE SICK AND ADMIT- 
TED to the Hospital. 

15. Road to Oaptain"8 Office. 

16. Line of Old Stockade. 



58 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

been used by the prisoners as a sink, and 
excrement covered the ground, the scent aris- 
ing from which was suffocating. The ground 
allotted to our ninety was near the edge 
of this plague-spot, and how we were to live 
through the warm summer weather in the 
midst of such fearful surroundings, was more 
than we cared to think of just then. 

Along the edge of the swamp, from one 
side of the camp to the other, ran a little shal- 
low brook, three or four feet wide, and this, 
with a few small springs, were to furnish our 
water for the season. Whatever we may have 
thought of the dangers of the past; of the 
uncertainties which encircled us prior to our 
captivity, when we were exposed to the 
assaults of the enemy, we now felt that almost 
infinitely better would it be, to 

1 ' Dwell in the midst of alarms, 
Than reign in such a horrible place. ' 

No shelter was provided for us by the rebel 
authorities, and we therefore went to work to 
provide for ourselves. Eleven of us combined 
to form a "family" For the small sum of 
two dollars in greenbacks we purchased eight 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 59 

small saplings about eight or nine feet long ; 
these we bent and made fast in the ground, 
and covering them with our blankets, made a 
tent with an oval roof, about thirteen feet 
long. We needed the blankets for our pro- 
tection from the cold at night, but of the two, 
we concluded it to be quite as essential to our 
comfort to shut out the rain. In the after- 
noon we drew rations, each man getting a 
joint and a half of coarse corn meal, about two 
ounces of bacon, a little salt, and also a little 
soap. We baked a cake of the meal for our 
supper, and being very weary we laid our- 
selves down upon the cold ground to sleep. 
It was very cold, and our hard couch, without 
any covering to wrap about us, made it com- 
fortless indeed. 

There were ten deaths on our side of the 
camp that night. The old prisoners called it 
" being exchanged" and truly it was a blessed 
transformation to those who went from such a 
miserable existence on earth, to a glorious one 
above. We could not weep for such, but only 
rejoice that their cares and toils were ended. 



60 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

We could not wonder that they should feel 
in their last hours that — 

"It is not death to die — 

To leave this weary road, 
And, 'mid the brotherhood on high, 

To be at home with God. 

It is not death to close 

The eye long dimmed by tears, 
And wake, in glorious repose, 

To spend eternal years. 

It is not death to bear 

The wrench that sets us free 
From dungeon chain, to breathe the air 

Of boundless liberty." 

Faith alone could rise above the feelings 
which shrink from death and burial in such a 
place, and in such circumstances, but faith 
opens wide the "golden gates" of the Celestial 
City, and through them the redeemed soul 
may pass to the abodes of purity, itself bright 
and shining, whatever might have been the 
condition of its clayey tenement below. A 
decent grave and a friendly burial would be a 
great mercy, but careless hands and unfeeling 
hearts hasten the soldier to his last home; but 
their dust shall not escape the Father's care, 
and future re-animation shall testify to the 
power and constancy of the heavenly Watcher. 



LTPE IN REBEL PRISONS. 61 

After being there a short time, the balance 
of the Plymouth pilgrims came in, including 
the remainder of our regiment. We were in 
better spirits than the day before, having had 
time to accustom ourselves to things a little, 
so that when they filed in through the misery, 
we even laughed at their disconsolate looking 
faces, forgetting we, too, looked equally dole- 
ful on the preceding day. 

What can not soldiers make up their minds 
to endure ? We found upon inquiry, the name 
of the prison was Camp Sumter, and that ten 
thousand prisoners were then confined within 
its boundaries. We were particularly cau- 
tioned by those who had been there some 
time, to beware of the "dead line" about 
which we had heard upon the night of our 
arrival, and then believed to be untrue. We 
found it to be no fiction, however. All around 
the inside of the stockade, and about a rod 
distant from it, was a slender railing, and the 
least trespass over or under this, whether 
ignorantly done or not, met with instant death 
from the vigilant sentinel who was eager for 
an opportunity to shoot one of the "damned 
Yankees" 



62 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

About this time Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb, 
commander of the Georgia State militia, made 
us a visit of inspection, and the ladies in the 
vicinity gave a pic-nic to the rebel soldiers in 
honor of the occasion. What his august 
presence would have to do with our welfare 
was a matter of conjecture. We heard float- 
ing rumors of an exchange of prisoners, but 
dared not hope for their truth. There were 
men who had been prisoners through the 
previous winter, upon Belle Island, in the 
Danville prisons, and other places, ragged, 
some of them nearly naked, worn down by 
long suffering to mere skeletons ; who ought 
to be exchanged, if only for humanity's sake. 
"Why does'nt the government do it?" we 
asked, but we could not answer. 

A PLAN FOR ESCAPE 

was natural enough for men in such condi- 
tion. On the night of the fifth some of them 
"tunnelled out" hoping to be so fortunate as to 
pass once and forever from such fearful bond- 
age, but the blood hounds were soon put upon 
their track, the usual method of our chivalrous 
enemies in finding and re-capturing runaways. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 65 

Their yelping could be plainly heard in camp, 
a sound fitted to intensify our sympathy for 
the poor objects of their search. In conse- 
quence of the absence of these prisoners the 
rest of the camp were kept in ranks for a long 
while after roll-call ; probably while the rebel 
officers were seeking to acquaint themselves 
with the manner in which they had made 
their escape, and who they were. 

I had always supposed it to be the privilege 
of a prisoner of war to make his escape if he 
could, but there it was considered a crime, 
and a man was tracked like a felon or an out- 
law who should dare make the attempt. 
Talk no longer about "mudsills" and "greasy 
mechanics /" — public opinion at the North 
would not tolerate the barbarity which finds 
ready applause at the South. Either the race 
of F. F. Y.'s must have become sadly degen- 
erated, or they were always inferior to the 
people of the North. 

To insure correctness in the roll-call, the 
guards of the stockade were instructed to fire 
upon any men who should attempt to cross 
the brook from one side of the prison to the 



GO LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

other. Thinking it would be no violation of 
orders to step to the side of the brook, to 
wash my hands, I did so, when snap went the 
cap on the gun of one of the guard near me. 
On looking up I found he had intended to 
shoot me, but his gun had missed fire — 
thanks to a good providence. Thinking "dis- 
cretion the better part of valor," I hastily 
retreated from harm's way, imagining it "best 
to observe the rules tolerably in letter if not 
in spirit 

Three rebel officers of rank, Surgeons, it 
was supposed, rode into camp in the forenoon, 
and after inquiring into our causes of com- 
plaint, made us many fair promises of improve- 
ment in the prison, but we doubted at the 
time if they would ever be fulfilled. The 
rations which followed were a little more 
varied, having in addition to corn meal and 
bacon, molasses and rice, with a little salt, but 
exceedingly small quantities of anything. It 
was difficult to obtain wood enough to cook 
even what little we did have. 

At this time we began to find lice upon our 
clothing, although we had been in prison but 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 67 

two or three days, and it was of no use to 
attempt to rid ourselves of them for they were 
everywhere, even crawling upon the ground 
where we slept. "We thought of our friends 
at home, and wondered how they would feel 
if they knew we were in such condition. To 
add to our sorrow and indignation, we found 
a large gang of desperadoes among our own 
men in camp, whom we called "Mosby's 
Raiders" and who lived by robbing and beat- 
ing, sometimes almost murdering their com- 
rades in misfortune. They attempted to carry 
out their plans in a thieving raid upon us, 
probably meeting with a strong temptation in 
the looks of our overcoats and blankets, but 
we were out in a twinkling, jorepared for our 
defense, and they, seeing an overpowering 
force, beat a hasty retreat. We would fain 
believe that such men are an exception 
among Federal soldiers, but it may be we can 
not tell how harsh treatment, and long con- 
tinued neglect and abuse, would degrade man- 
hood in any case. We, as a regiment, pre- 
sented a united front, and were therefore too 
strong for them. It required no little vigi- 



68 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

lance and sacrifice to adapt ourselves' to all 
these circumstances of our prison life. "Man" 
is said to be "a creature of adaptation" but 
let him be placed within the stockade of a 
Georgia prison, subject to the will of arbitrary 
rebels, and he will be puzzled to make himself 
a very graceful representative of the truth. 
Much can be done, however, and these things 
I resolved to make rules for personal observ- 
ance, at least. Feeling that cleanliness was 
an indispensable condition of health, I deter- 
mined to keep clean at all hazards, and there- 
fore I would repair to the brook at early 
dawn, before it had been disturbed by others 
with like intent, and there wash my clothing 
as well as I could. "God willing," I would 
say to myself, "the <rebs' shall never have the 
satisfaction of carrying my body out upon a 
stretcher." "I will live to spite them." 

A few days after we had been in camp, I 
visited the boys of the 16th on the other 
side of the camp, and found them well and 
pretty cheerful, considering their situation. 

Towards evening of the day, Corporal F 

and myself walked up by the large prison 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 69 

gate, and there lay ten dead men ready to be 
carried out for burial. They were to be taken 
just as they were, placed in an army wagon, 
one upon the other, until it was filled, and 
driven off to the place of burial, like so many 
animals, without coffin, or even a winding 
sheet. Then they were to be placed side by 
side in long, shallow trenches, a few boards 
placed over them, a covering of earth thrown 
in, and the burial of the patriot was ended. 
We could but sigh for these thus passing 
to their graves, "unwept, unlamented and 
unhonored," but, "was it so ?" Surely a 
nation's pity, and a nation's gratitude must be 
stirred at sight of these countless sacrifices 
upon her altars. Then, too, as the intelligence 
should find its way back to many a home 
in northern vale or hill-side ; to the hamlets 
on western prairies, or those among the rug- 
ged slopes of the East, there would be loving 
hearts that would mourn, and many tears 
would be shed in memory of the silent sleepers 
in southern graves, and for the future they 
must be like those who seek in vain to — 

u Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow." 



70 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

As we stood there in presence of the uncov- 
ered dead, the consciousness of our situation 
led us to feel, — 

" We are fellows still, 

Serving alike in sorrow. Leaked is our Bark, 
And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck 
Hearing the surges threat :" # 

The weather was very warm, and at even- 
ing many of the poor sick men repaired to 
the brook to bathe. One poor fellow who 
was reduced to a mere skeleton, found himself 
too weak to drag himself from the water, and 
was obliged to receive help from a comrade. 
Upon passing from our tent the next morning, 
I discovered a dead body lying near, and look- 
ing more closely saw it to be this same poor 
fellow who, the evening before, had sought the 
invigorating influence of a bath for his weary 
frame. He has met the grim' sentry, Death, 
passed over the dark waters, and hope would 
picture him as among the glad immortals. 

At the gate were twenty others, most of 
them from the poor fellows who had been 
prisoners a number of months on Belle Island, 
in the Libby and Pemberton at Eichmond, 
and also at Danville. With them, also, the 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 71 

warfare was accomplished ; the race run, and 
in some instances, at least, we trust a welcome 
victory gained. 

The regiments of rebel soldiers stationed in 
the vicinity seemed entirely unmoved by the 
sight of so much suffering, and the knowledge 
of such inhuman treatment of thousands of 
poor fellows in their midst, only served to 
kindle their exultation and make them show 
it out in wildest demonstration. Before we 
had been many days in captivity, they held a 

SHAM FIGHT, 

which drew admiring crowds of people from 
all the surrounding country to see how the 
thing was done. The so-called ladies of the 
South are exceedingly bitter in their opposi- 
tion to the North, and follow their "liege 
lords" in the . exhibition of it, and therefore 
on all such occasions they are present to do 
what lies in their power to keep the zeal and 
enthusiasm of their soldiers up to the fighting 
standard. When we first heard the firing we 
thought the " Yankees " had surely come, and 
the hearts of our poor men bounded with joy 
at the very thought of deliverance, but they 



72 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

sunk proportionately when the truth of the 
case was made known to them. Our imagina- 
tions pictured something other than make 
believe struggles and we hoped before the 
summer was over there would be realities that 
would tell with some favor upon our destiny ; 
that, at least, we would catch the echo of 
some sounds of different spirit and intent from 
those our heartless foes poured into our ears 
during that, to them, hilarious season. After 
their sport was over in that line, many of the 
women came down to our prison, crowding 
around the gate, amusing themselves by 
throwing in bread, and witnessing the eager- 
ness with which our half starved men would 
scramble to get it, for at this time life was 
sustained only by a miserable pittance of 
poor corn bread, and a small bit of boiled 
bacon. Had they been like some of the sym- 
pathising women of the North of whom we 
had heard, the sight of so many pallid faces 
and wretched forms, would have stirred their 
pity, and called forth some* effort to relieve a 
little of the suffering, though it were among 
those who had held arms against them. In 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 73 



how many cases had loyal ladies gone forth, 
themselves reared in luxury and unused to 
hardships, and with their own hands minis- 
tered to the wants of the sick and wounded, 
not overlooking even the rebel sufferer in 
their Christrlike mission. 

We could but think of the humane treat- 
ment our foes had received in the Federal 
dominions, and contrast it with our forlorn 
condition. They, with the best of clothing, 
abundant rations, comfortable lodgings, and 
the kindest hospital treatment, while we had 
scarcely covering for our nakedness, food 
insufficient to satisfy even the cravings of 
hunger, no bed but the ground, arid a condition 
of things in the hospital that induced speedy 
dissolution, and withal we were compelled to 
endure the sneers, taunts, and abuse of men 
and women alike. Not that we in our misery 
would have retaliated, for we felt that it was 
the Bible way of doing things ; that we were 
thus exemplifying the spirit of the gospel, in 
heaping "coals of fire" upon the heads of our 
enemies, and besides, we had not been with- 
out evidence of its beneficent results in our 



74 LIFE IN REBEL TRISONS. 

own experience. The men who had attended 
ns a portion of the way, a North Carolina 
regiment, had, at a previous date, been pris- 
oners of war upon our side, and in remem- 
brance of the kindness they received were 
more favorable to us than they otherwise 
w T ould have been. 

We reflected, also, that the time would come 
when the "cruel war" would be over, and it 
would be better to have an honorable record 
upon the pages of history, than to have the 
disgrace of the w r orld upon us, for such "inhu- 
manity to man," as made our "countless thou- 
sands mourn." Amid all our thoughts and 
imaginations, nothing seemed so strange to us 
as the apathy of the Federal government, and 
of the northern people toward us ; that they 
w r ere doing nothing to release us from the 
inconceivable wretchedness in which we were 
placed. There we were, thousands of human 
beings, who had cheerfully volunteered for 
the service of the country, ready to sacrifice 
everything in honorable defense of her laws 
and institutions, crowded into an enclosure, 
with no room for exercise, scarcely enough 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 75 

to move without jostling against each other, 
the very air filled with fetid odors, which of 
itself was sufficient to plant the seeds of death 
in every system. Revolting as the scenes 
were, which constantly met our eyes, we could 
have borne it all; we could have met sickness, 
hunger and exposure, and the thousand prison 
ills which beset us, with brave hearts, but for 
the cruel suspicion which tormented us, and 
which was "assiduously fanned by the rebel 
authorities," that we were abandoned by our 
government and our friends ; those whom we 
had so faithfully sought to serve, and but for 
whom we would then have been in our homes 
of cheer and comfort at the North. Many — 
yea ! hundreds, who would have experienced 
every form of hardship uncomplainingly, "sank 
away and died, heart-broken, under this mel- 
ancholy delusion, while a few, whose ties to 
the Union were new and slight, sought to 
avenge their supposed wrongs by taking 
service in the rebel ranks." 

We had no means of ascertaining the falsity 
of any of these things, shut out as we were 
from all communication except that from 



76 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

rebel authority, and that was not calculated 
generally, to soothe our fears or quiet our 
suspicions. This much, however, we have to 
say to the credit of our brave boys, that in a 
vast majority of cases, no combination of 
suffering makes them a whit less firm in their 
allegiance to the Union cause, or prompts a 
desire for peace, except on a true and lasting 
basis. They do not wish to see the old Union 
as it was, with the dark stain of slavery upon 
it ; to have it remain, a perpetual element of 
discord at home, and a just cause for reproach 
abroad, but they do wish for the use of prompt 
and energetic measures to hasten the day 
that shall bring a desirable end. They do not 
ask to be free from all participation in the 
strife, but they do long to walk forth from 
their cankerous dens, even though it be to 
meet the sulphurous smoke of the cannon, in 
the fiercely contested battle, for there, at least, 
would be glorious action, and per chance a lull 
that might give a grateful moment under the 
shadow of some tree, the mossy seat rendered 
specially inviting by the remembrance of the 
place where not a foot of earth could be 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 77 

found but was infested with creeping things 
that made it well nigh intolerable. 

When we had been captives of little more 
than a week standing, the rebel sergeant, 
Carmichael, who counted our squad every 
morning, told me, after roll-call in the morning, 
that the exchange officer, Major Turner, was 
in Andersonville, and the work of exchanging 
prisoners would begin as soon as the action 
on the Rapidan was over. Allowing the state- 
ment to have an exhilarating influence upon 
my own spirit, I went up to the hospital to do 
what I could by way of comforting the poor 
sick men there. I read to them and tried to 
cheer them by telling them of what I had 
heard of the prospect before us, but the poor 
fellows had been deceived too many times to 
dare build a hope upon such a rumor. 

Little did we then know how many would 

pay the last debt of nature, and leave their 

wasted bodies in Georgia soil, before such a 

result would be accomplished. Happily for 

us, then, we could not read the "Book of 

Fate" or turn the leaves of wonder-working 

Providence for the utter blasting of our hopes 
4 



78 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

would have been too much for us, and many 
would have died in despair. The pious heart % 
could only remember that it was to 

" Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, 
But trust him for his grace," 

and also comfort itself with that other assur- 
ance, that 

" Behind a frowning providence, 
He hides a smiling face." 

The policy of the Confederate authorities 
respecting us seemed to be, to unfit as many 
as possible for future service, and to secure 
the object more speedily, they cut down the 
rations to half the usual quantity, so that the 
old prisoners who had been in the notorious 
Libby, at Kichmond, declared it was even 
worse than at that place. Had it been by 
reason of scarcity ; — had we known their sup- 
plies were unequal to our need, we should 
have felt differently — we could have submitted 
to the inexorable necessity, but we had reason 
to think otherwise. 

About this time a copy of the "Macon 
Telegraph'' was brought into camp, giving an 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 79 

account of the commencement of the great 
battle between 

GRANT AND LEE. 

It was represented as the * bloodiest battle of 
the bloody war/' but not boasting much of 
their success, we concluded the "Stars and 
Strijies" were triumphant, and "God grant it," 
was the fervent prayer that went up from 
many a heart Of one thing we were certain, 
if our General was defeated we knew our 
enemies would not be slow in acquainting us 
with the fact. In the numbers that immedi- 
ately followed, the telegraphic news was cut 
out, a circumstance that looked rather omin- 
ous, and quite inclined us to the belief that 
Grant had pretty thoroughly routed Lee. 
Feeling well over the reports, a crowd of boys 
of the 16th collected and showed their enthu- 
siasm by singing "America" "Star Spangled 
Banner" "Red, White and Blue" at the top 
of their voices, probably much to the disgust 
of our guards on the stockade, though possi- 
bly not, for many of them w r ere so ignorant it 
was doubtful if they knew one song from 
another. Their general lack of intelligence 



80 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

was illustrated in a little incident which 
occurred when we first entered the prison. 
A rebel officer, with all the dignity of his 
position, while surveying the newly arrived, 
remarked to them, "if there is a sergeant 
among you that can write his name, he may 
step forth," — as if it was a matter of doubt 
whether his northern guests had even such 
an advantage as this in their training. A 
smile might have been observed on the faces 
of the entire crowd, not one of whom, boasting 
New England origin but could wield the pen 
with more or less grace. Southern statistics 
could show no fact that would coincide with 
this. The very constitution of things in their 
society rendered the whole system of educa- 
tion defective. 

Following closely upon our jubilant concert, 
and as if to dampen the ardor of our patri- 
otism, an item of news was brought in by the 
rebels, more in accordance with their wishes. 
They maintained that Gen. Steele, commander 
of our forces in Arkansas, had been captured, 
with his whole army, consisting of upwards of 
nine thousand men. We could only hope it 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 81 

was untrue, for we were still keenly sensitive 
to our nation's honor. Let things be as they 
might outside ; let them be shrouded in uncer- 
tainty and doubt, of one thing we were pain- 
fully conscious, that a great congregation was 
fast going to the silent dead from cur midst. 
Visiting the hospital one morning I found 
that from thirteen in one tent, three had died 
within a few hours, and the rest looked as if 
their days were fast being numbered. Shortly 
after, another breathed his last, but from what 
I saw of him I think he was ready for the call 
of his Master and considering our situation 
we almost felt inclined to say with more than 
ordinary emphasis, "How blest the righteous 
when he dies." 

Strange as it may seem, these ever recur- 
ring death-scenes had no humanizing effect 
upon some of our own men. The gang of 
gamblers and desperadoes who were a pest to 
the camp, and with whom life and property 
were not safe, were ever ready to incite 
whomsoever they could to join in a lawless 
mob, although the solemnities of life's closing 
day were thick about them. They even had 



82 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

a fight when this last mentioned man was 
dying. Who would not rather make his exit 
from earth under different circumstances? 
Who would not choose that the lamp of life 
should go out among friends at home, — gently 
— free from such distracting influences ? But 
there was manifestly no help for it. The Con- 
federate authorities seemed to have no care 
of what passed inside, provided we were 
unsuccessful in making our escape from thence. 
We were left entirely free to frame our own 
laws, and carry them into execution if we 
could. 

The morning of the 11th found us exposed 
to a pitiless storm, the first rainy day we had 
in camp. Much to our gratification, however, 
we found our own little tent, made of woolen 
blankets, to shed the rain very well, but what 
they would become by the continued action 
of sun and rain was a question that deeply 
concerned us. According to frequent rumors 
Ave might soon be in the land of plenty, and 
moreover of humanity, but herein was our 
trouble, there were too many stories afloat to 
have a good foundation. One day might be 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 83 

cheered by strong assurances of immediate 
exchange, and the next sink us correspond- 
ingly low in despair. For some reason decep- 
tion seemed the peculiar delight of our ene- 
mies. Whether they did it to gratify an 
insatiable thirst for revenge in themselves, or 
to keep us more reconciled, more willing and 
patient to abide our time, was something we 
could not determine. The feelings occasioned 
by our disappointment can be better imagined 
than described, but imagination even in her 
most extravagant flights, can but poorly pic- 
ture the horrors of this prison life. Our con- 
stant experience was "Hope deferred" that 
"maketk the heart sick." Almost every new 
arrangement that was made seemed to make 
it the worse for us, or, at least, left us nothing 
but to fear a still more rigorous discipline, if 
it were possible. 

At this juncture of affairs, when Gen. John- 
ston was being badly pressed by Sherman's 
army, it became necessary for the rebels to 
send every available man to the front, conse- 
quently the soldiers who had been our guard 
were ordered to Dalton to aid in repelling 



84 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

him, and their places were filled by some of 
the Georgia militia. The former looked upon 
these latter with supreme contempt, and 
applied to them the name of "new issues" but 
we thought not of anything, or cared, except 
the possible change it might work in our 
treatment, although we expected not much in 
our favor by this movement. 

From this time onward, for a while, we had 
some communication with the outside world, 
through the 

ARRIVAL OF PRISONERS, 

who were coming into camp in greater or less 
numbers almost every day. A squad of 
eighteen or twenty came in on the afternoon 
of the twelfth, all of them from Sherman's 
army, with the exception of two or three from 
Currituck, N. C, near our place of capture. 
The boys from Dalton brought us cheering 
news from our forces at that place, telling us 
that our brave General was in the rear of the 
rebel army and giving them what we were 
pleased to denominate "particular fits." We 
did'nt know what our neighbors thought in 
the camps outside, but for some cause there 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. Bo 

was a great deal of cheering among them — 
possibly it was exultation at some fancied 
victory, a not very strange way of doing 
things for them, as they have sometimes been 
falsely informed for reasons best known to 
the original inventors of the fabrication. 
Occasionally these things were Varied by some 
trifling attention to our comfort, as for 
instance, a number of men were set to work 
in widening the brook, with the idea of hav- 
ing it planked upon the bottom and sides, in 
order to give the men a clean place in which 
to wash. These matters were things of ines- 
timable value to us, and Ave watched their 
progress with the deepest interest, all the while 
hoping that summer would not pass away 
without its completion. 

We turned from watching this enterprise to 
welcome sixteen more prisoners, but no ! we 
will not say ivelcome, for this implies congratu- 
lation, and we could not extend anything like 
this to a human being about to be initiated 
into such a terrible experience. There was 
one thing about it, the news they brought 
was most eagerly received. These were from 



86 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Dalton, and we learned from them that, when 
they were captured, Sherman was flanking 
the rebel army, and that Kilpatrick was there 
with a large force of cavalry and mounted 
infantry. Hope suggested the possibility 
that he might come down and release us, in 
which case w*e thought we could speak of 
welcome in unmistakable terms. The sight of 
a man at the head of such a force would have 
been hailed as was Hoses, in ancient times, by 
the oppressed Israelites, as the Great Deliverer. 



CHAPTEK III. 

DISCOVERY OF A TUNNEL. 

It were quite remarkable if among so many 
men, in miserable confinement, there were 
not various methods of escape devised and 
attempted. Our greatest source of trouble 
was the fact that there were so many con- 
temptible traitors in our midst, who, for the 
sake of an extra ration, would betray any 
attempt to escape on the part of their com- 



LIFE LN REBEL PRISONS. 87 

rades. This made an effort to escape almost 
an impossibility without the certainty of detec- 
tion. The work of completing a tunnel had 
been silently going on, and we hoped to be 
successful in keeping it from the peering eyes 
of the rebels, but in some way they discovered 
it on the afternoon of the thirteenth, and 
Capt. Wirz swore that no more rations should 
be issued until the place was filled again with 
earth. This captain was the commandant of 
the interior of the prison, and was a wretch 
of the first or worst degree ; insolent, over- 
bearing, heartless, and of course a coward, for 
no man but a coward would come into camp 
and draw a revolver upon helpless men as he 
had done. He was said to have been a 
deserter from our army, but I could not vouch 
for the truth of it. Notwithstanding his 
threat, we did not go supper less that night, 
for the "reb" quarter-master came in with 
men and the necessary implements, and filled 
up the place, thus blasting one more hope ; 
but as this principle is strong in youthful 
spirits, we quickly turned from one thwarted 
plan to the formation of another, which might 



88 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

in its turn come to naught, yet, nevertheless, 
afforded us an opportunity for the employ- 
ment of our otherwise inactive energies. 

At this time I formed an acquaintance with 
Sergeant Major E., of the 15th Wisconsin 
Volunteers, from whom I learneJ there was a 

SECRET ORGANIZATION 

in progress for the purpose of attempting an 
outbreak and escape on a grand scale. I told 
him he might count me in on any such project 
as that, for one might as well lose his life in 
such an attempt as to die by inches in the foul 
atmosphere of the prison. The plan was to 
re-commence tunneling, and in this way under- 
mine the stockade at several different points. 
At a pre-concerted signal the men were to 
rush upon it in a body sufficient to overturn 
it, ani still another body were to seize the 
artillery and turn it upon the rebel camps, 
leaving us to pursue the way we had chosen, 
towards Pensacola, Fla., as the most feasible, 
from whence we could join our lines. A great 
deal was involved in the enterprise, and it 
was necessary to start right. It needed 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 89 

extreme caution, time and patience, and more 
than all, perfect union among the prisoners, 
for the "rebs," with eagle-eyes, were awake to 
the possibility. 

i Under pretense of digging for water we 
would sink a well in some chosen spot, and 
after getting down several feet, abandon it 
and commence in another place, which was 
really the point of attack all the while, but 
which could be better worked by the ostensi- 
ble object of the other. Eeaching the requi- 
site depth in the second, the tunnel was to 
proceed out from it to the desired place. Of 
course the work must be done at night, and 
with just such instruments as could be 
obtained. These were old knives, spoons, 
broken canteens, in short anything that could 
scoop out a handful of earth. This in one 
part of the camp was of a reddish color, while 
in others it was so sandy as to defy all attempts 
to. make a way through, as it would fill in as 
fast as we might dig. To dispose of this as 
fast as it would be taken out, we obtained an 
old sack, and this was to be filled and passed 
along to men who were to be stationed at 



90 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

proper intervals between the point of work- 
ins: and the first well, which it was found to 
be very convenient to fill up just then, as a 
well without water was of no account. 
Beyond this it was conveyed to the marshy 
places, and to the brook itself, and left there. 
As nothing could be done except under cover 
of the friendly shadows of night, it must be 
comparatively slow. 

The days were many of them fine, and the 
Johnnies had a gay time without, all uncon- 
scious of what was going on within. While 
we were contemplating the best method of 
action in our proposed endeavor, they were 
having a pic-nic, or something of the sort, 
among themselves, being regaled by a band 
of music with such airs as the " Bonnie blue 
flag," and " Southern Marsailles," doubtless 
designed to "fire the southern heart" and 
inspire it with hope and courage, now that the 
two armies 'were actively contending for the 
mastery. A great crowd of ladies were dis- 
coverable, who were probably present to 
applaud and admire the men who thought it a 
brave deed to shoot a defenceless prisoner. 



LIFE IX REBEL PRISONS. 91 

In these moments of observation I said to 
myself "What a difference being inside of the 
stockade makes in one's condition ! Without 
all is gayety and happiness, or at least, appa- 
rently so, while within, misery remains un- 
checked," but countless others have known 
sorrow, even — 

" Illustrious spirits have conversed with woe, 
Have iu her schools been taught," 

then why should we not nerve ourselves as 
well as others to the stern discipline ? 

Nearly a hundred more Yankee prisoners 
came in on the 15th, most of them from 
Sherman's army at Dalton, but a few from 
Newbern and Plymouth, N. C, those from the 
latter, however, being such as were detained 
at Tarboro on account of sickness. The 
few who came in on the day previous were 
attacked and robbed the very night of their 
arrival, by the band of marauders who still 
infested the camp, and almost completely 
ruled it. It was reported that one poor fellow 
came to an utimely death at their hands, and 
another received a mos^t unmerciful beating 
because he showed resistance to their inhuman 



92 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

attempts. Some might suppose that these 
men, all prisoners for the same cause, would 
be bound together by kindred ties, inasmuch 
as they were sharers of the same misfortune, 
but we are not to forget that under any cir- 
cumstances the same number of men would 
furnish specimens anything but favorable to 
humanity. There was a Judas among the 
"twelve" of Palestinian memory, so now, there 
are men of like passions and character in small 
groups of whatsoever locality. One thing is 
certain, the monotony of our camp was too 
often varied by these unwelcome demonstra- 
tions. 

It was about these days a rebel publication 
fell into our hands, printed at Richmond, and 
called "The Second Year of the War." It 
was a very one-sided affair, full of misrepre- 
sentations, making everything Southern about 
perfect, and all action on the corresponding 
side unworthy and barbarous. I finished its 
perusal, ending with thorough disgust, and 
wondering if that was the kind of trash the 
Southern people would have to accept as 
history. It spoke of the robbery of shoes 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 93 

and clothing from the dead and wounded, at 
the second Bull Run battle, as a very com- 
mendable act on the part of their soldiers, 
and the tenor of the whole was in keeping 
with the same, but if it did no more for me, 
it whiled away a few tedious prison-hours, 
and that was something of a consideration. 
Things which w r e would not have once 
paused to consider, now arrested our atten- 
tion, and really ministered to our happi- 
ness. Just before sunset, one afternoon, the 
clouds thickened in the sky above us, and 
poured upon us jl little rain. They soon 
broke away; the sun came out, and in the 
eastern sky appeared a beautiful rainbow. 
" Is it a good omen for us V was the question 
it prompted, and though we could not answer, 
we certainly looked upon it with pleasing 
emotion, for it almost seemed like the coming 
of a heavenly messenger, and this was the 
pledge he brought that Gocl had not forgotten 
'us. We accepted the pledge and allowed 
faith to bring its own comfort into the passing 
hour, nor was the future made any darker, 
but rather brighter, by the sweet teaching of 
the heavens. 



94 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

The fifteenth was our second Sabbath in 
Camp Sumter, though one would have hardly 
thought it holy day, there being nothing to 
distinguish it from any other through the 
week. There was no sanctuary summons for 
us ; no pealing bell to remind us of the crowd 
who were gathering under the roof of God's 
sacred temples, nor scarce an influence more 
quieting and elevating than usual. Had there 
been even a retired sjiot in any corner, one 
might have stolen away and found a sort of 
Sabbath for his own soul; the calmness of 
solitude might have brought him nearer 
heaven, but there was no such place known 
there. Those who were so fortunate as to 
possess small shelter tents could retire within 
them during the warm hours of the day, and 
perchance forget present discomfort, for a 
reason, in recollections of the ^9as£ and antici- 
pations of the revealed future, but even then 
distracting sounds would soon recall them to 
the sad scenes among which they must live. 

About noon this day we were startled by 
the report of a gun from one of the sentries, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 95 

and on seeking to discover the cause found 
that 

A CRIPPLE, 

whom we had often seen, had been shot for 
going inside the "dead line" and refusing to 
go out, saying he wished to die. The guard 
fulfilled his wish very quickly, and indeed, any 
one having any desire to "shuffle off the 
mortal coil," has only to step inside that line, 
and the work is done. It was the general 
opinion in prison, that this man, though a 
prisoner himself, was a traitor to the rest of 
us, and was the principal agent in showing the 
rebel authorities the locality of every new "tun- 
nel" just for the sake of a small reward in the 
shape of something to eat. We felt that if 
this was so, shooting was only too good for 
him. Capt. Wirz was around soon after with 
a guard, spying out the land, but we heard 
nothing of his being enlightened as to our 
undertaking, which was still steadily going on. 
I was daily becoming better acquainted with 
the ringleaders of the plot. They were a 
bold set of fellows, most of them those who 
had been prisoners for a long time, and had 



96 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

tried to escape several times before. We only 
hoped they would be more successful now. 

Towards evening of this same Sabbath, I 
again visited the hospital, and found only one 
living of the thirteen who were under that 
one tent fly a few days ago. Death reaps a 
rich harvest here, surely, I thought. It has 
emphatically all seasons for its own. Not an 
hour of the day but souls were winging their 
way from that miserable prison up to the 
throne of God. Angels, we believe, came 
down to that wretched place on errands of 
love ; as guards to earth-weary spirits in their 
upward flight, and moreover, the compassionate 
Jesus looked down to those lowly couches 
upon his trusting ones, and paved the way 
with light for them. 

From the hospital I went to a prayer meet- 
ing ; — not such a meeting as people have at 
home, and as I had had in the land I had left, 
but, thank Gocl, we could pray as well, if not 
better there, for we felt the need of Divine 
help more than we ever could while sur- 
rounded with every help and every comfort. 
The shadows of evening had gathered about 



LIFE IN REBEL TRISONS. 97 

us, and we had no roof over our heads but 
the sky, and no light but that of the moon 
and stars, but these things we knew would 
prove no hindrance to our access to the mer- 
ciful throne, and the listening ear of the 
Eternal would as readily bend to our ^raises 
and complaints there as anywhere else. 

The next day twenty-one more prisoners 
were added to our number, coming from 
the same point as those who had recently 
arrived. They brought us right good news 
from Sherman's army, telling us of the cap- 
ture of Dalton, and that the rebel Gen. John- 
ston was falling back with his forces to Resaca. 
These things did not a little to keep up our 
spirits. Everything was dark, however, in 
regard to almost all other points. We 
heard nothing from Richmond, although one 
of the guards told one of our boys, at this 
time, that it was "a gone-up case" and that 
our armies were getting the better of them 
everywhere. 

No letters at all came to us, and we con- 
cluded all communications were interrupted 
by our " raiding par&'es." As Kilpatrick and 



98 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Stoneman were both at Kesaca, and meeting 
with excellent success, we could not but hope 
they would head an expedition for our libera- 
tion. For some reason the "rebs" were par- 
ticularly watchful over us, evidently fearing 
something would escape their notice, and they 
would in some way lose their hold upon us. 
Yery strict orders in regard to attempts to 
escape were read in the camp at morning 
roll-call. We thought it very poor policy for 
them to do this, for the penalties were only 
what w r e expected, as a matter of course, and 
the issuing of the order only proved that 
they were "on the scare" a little. The pun- 
ishment assigned for the violation of such 
orders, was the wearing of a heavy cannon 
ball, attached to the ankle by a chain. This 
had already been awarded to some, but 
Yankee ingenuity had found a way by which 
they might be unfastened, so that freedom could 
be enjoyed through the day, and the thing 
put on to appear in. due form before rebel 
majesty at the hour assigned. 

None can tell our intense longings to know 
the real condition of affairs in the field. Ke- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 09 

ports in regard to operations were various. 
At times we would feel remarkably cheerful 
over the good news brought in by the pris- 
oners, and were content to remain in our 
wretched quarters longer, if we could only 
know Uncle Sam's armies were steadily accom- 
plishing the desired result. Through this 
medium we learned that Gen. Wessels was 
confined at Macon, and that Col. Beach had 
been exchanged, being held as prisoner of 
war only a few days. We were again told 
that we might hope for this. Capt. Wirz, and 
the • Confederate newspapers, also, assured us 
that a general exchange had been agreed 
upon, and that four hundred had actually 
been exchanged already, — Aiken's Landing, 
on the James river, and Savannah, Ga., being 
the chosen points for execution; but our expe- 
rience in these matters had been to confirm 
doubt instead of hope. 

At this time the weather was quite warm, 
but fine, and the evenings beautiful. The 
bright moonbeams looked down lovingly upon 
us, and with seeming pity, making it so light 
we could see to read the fine print of a 



100 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

small testament quite readily. Could we 
have commissioned it to do anything in our 
behalf, many would have said, 

" Roll on, thou silvery moon," 

and tell the friends of the soldier the misery 
in which they dwell, that they may do some- 
thing for our rescue." 

Kesaca contributed another quota of men 
on the 20th. They brought the intelligence 
that Joe Johnston was falling back from 
Calhoun towards Atlanta, and that Sherman 
was flanking him all the time as usual. These 
things, doubtless, had some influence in 
exciting the fears of our enemies, and it soon 
became evident that all the promises they had 
made to us was simply to keep us as quiet as 
possible. To this end we attributed the slight 
increase of rations for a time, but no light 
thing could divert us from our fixed purpose, 
and the out-break society had a consultation 
in spite of it all, and at its close we could say, 
in the words of a once famous Connecticut 
politician, " things is working." 

Day by day the weather was getting 
warmer, and it was fearful to think of spend- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 101 

ing the summer in our narrow pen. Prisoners 
were coming in by the hundred, and this 
made it still more dreadful. Among half a 
thousand who came in at one time, one hun- 
dred and fifty were from the army of the 
Potomac, who were taken at Parker's store, 
May 5th, in the first of the series of battles in 
front of Richmond. The next day six hun- 
dred more came in, having been taken in the 
wilderness near Chancellorsville. The 7th 
Penn. Reserves were among them, being pecu* 
liarly unfortunate, as their term of service 
expired in a few days, and now they were in 
a situation not to be as promptly mustered 
out as they would like. Through them we 
obtained some knowledge of the manner in 
which things were progressing. They told us 
of the confidence of the army in Gen. Grant, 
and also declared that it was in splendid fight- 
ing condition. We heard, too, that Holcomb's 
Legion, S. C, were captured by Spear's cav- 
alry, so the tables were turned upon them. 
A short time before they had been guarding 
us at Tarboro, N. C, and now they too were 
prisoners. Truly the fortunes of war are 
varied. 5 



102 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

We felt sorry to see so many of our men 
captured, but they assured us that the rebels 
lost more by far, than we upon our side. For 
a time they came in rapidly, both from Grant's 
and Sherman's army, and while this state of 
things lasted we were tolerably well informed 
of the doings in the different fields. When 
some of the latter came through Atlanta, the 
women and children were being removed to 
Macon and other points out of the reach of 
the Union army. This, of course, indicated 
the character of Southern opinion with refer- 
ence to their advancing foe, but we were 
cheered in proportion as they were distressed. 

The rapid influx of prisoners made an 
enlargement of our prison limits necessary, 
and a number of men were taken out to do 
the work. They had extra rations as an 
inducement, and better treatment in every 
respect, as the reward for their labor. I 
hardly knew what to think about it, whether 
it was right or wrong. The question would 
come up, "would our government like to have 
its soldiers build their own prisons ?" It cer- 
tainly was a great improvement, and of untold 



LIFE LN REBEL PRISONS. 103 

benefit to the inmates, and circumstances 
might have rendered it right and proper that 
it should have been done in this way. On the 
twenty-fourth nine hundred came in, and we 
were getting frightfully crowded. There was 
no circulating about the camp except with 
the greatest inconvenience. 

There was a great deal of talk among the 
prisoners about breaking out, but compara- 
tively few knew of the operations in progress 
to secure such a result. This very night of 
the day when so many came in was the time 
fixed upon for the grand demonstration, and 
if everything went as we thought it might, 
it bade fair to be a success. The stockade 
was duly cared for, being undermined in 
five or six different places, and we Jooked 
with the greatest interest for the hour to 
arrive, when at the sound of the trumpet, the 
walls, Jericho-like, would fall and let us go free. 
The men were all ready for a general rush upon 
the artillery, and imagination already pictured 
the dismay of the rebels, and our own triumph 
as our exulting hosts should pass on beyond the 
boundaries of oppression towards their native 



104 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

land of freedom. Many hearts beat high with 
hope and expectation in view of what might 
be coming. Possibly they were on the eve of 
a mighty deliverance, and the morning might 
dawn upon the place where imprisoned legions 
had been, but were not. The night was auspi- 
cious, being dark and rainy, and we ardently 
hoped everything would favor our darling 
scheme; but alas! these things were all 
doomed to sudden re-action, and we were 
made to feel how strangely evanescent are 
the brightest and strongest hopes ; how 
quickly these may yield to despair, and glad- 
ness be turned into sorrow. Just before the 
hour for action had arrived we* found the 
whole 

PLOT WAS DISCLOSED. 

One of the ring-le&ders had given the 
minutiae of the affair to Capt. Wirz ; one 
whom we had supposed true from his very 
position, and whom we thought by every 
motive of self-interest would feel himself 
bound to be faithful to the organization of 
which he was so prominent a member. Of 
course, immediate preparations were made to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 105 

frustrate our designs, and through the ras- 
cality of this one man the whole thing came 
to naught, leaving us like 

"Patience on a monument, 
To sit smiling at grief." 

He was at once taken out of prison and prob- 
ably richly rewarded for his villainy, and it 
was well for him, for his long continuance on 
earth might have been a matter of doubt if 
he had remained in his accustomed quarters. 
Vigorous measures were quickly taken to 
prevent any further attempts on our part. A 
large reinforcement of rebel troops arrived to 
make the guard doubly sure. The stockade 
was strengthened in such manner as to resist 
a like onslaught in the future, and things 
generally indicated a determination on their 
part to make sure their hold upon us a while 
longer. 

The evening after the disclosure we found 
the following, posted near the prison gate : 

Notice. 

" Not wishing to shed the blood of hundreds not connected with 
those who concocted a mad plan to force the stockade, and make in 
this way their escape, I hereby warn the leaders and those who 
formed themselves into a band to carry out this, that I am in pos- 



106 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

session of all the facts, and have made my dispositions accordingly, 
so as to frustrate it. No choice would be left me but to open with 
grape and canister on the stockade, and what effect this would 
have in this densely crowded place need not be told. 

May 25th, 1864. H. WIRZ. 

As it proved, the only consolation we could 
reap from the transaction, was in the idea that 
we had pretty well frightened them. We had 
no reason to think our condition would be 
any the better for it, nor could it hardly be 
worse. It was a matter of chagrin that we 
were betrayed in the manner we were, but 
could only endure what we could not care. 
It had no particular tendency to allay our 
irritation to see the rebels bring in over seven 
hundred prisoners that day, making more 
than sixteen hundred poor fellows who had 
come in within two days. They were from 
Grant's army, and had been taken in the early 
part of the month. They had been robbed 
of almost everything in their possession — 
coats, "blankets and haversacks — leaving them 
utterly unprepared to stand the hardships of 
prison life. I could not forbear exclaiming, 
"What a chivalrous enemy we are fighting!" 
but, "He robs himself who spends a bootless 
grief" and therefore, amid everything calcu- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 107 

lated to depress, I determined to maintain, as 
far as possible, that energy of character which 
Von Kneble says is the basis of all "true 
hope." "A strong mind," he says, "always 
hopes, and has always cause to hope, because 
it knows the mutability of human affairs, and 
how slight a circumstance may change the 
whole course of events. Such a spirit, too, 
rests upon itself; it is not confined to partial 
views, or to one particular object. And if, at 
last, all should be lost, it has saved itself — its 
own integrity and worth. Hope awakens 
courage, while despondency is the last of all 
evils; it is the abandonment of good, — the 
giving up of the battle of life with dead noth- 
ingness." Fully confident in this, that hope 
and courage were the best physicians, I 
brought my soul into as close companionship 
with them as possible. I had seen many give 
themselves up to life-consuming anxieties; 
had seen them torture themselves with insa- 
tiable longings for home, friends and comfort, 
and they had been the sure victims of the 
grim tyrant These were, indeed, in a pitiable 
condition. They were suffering, and naturally 



108 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

enough came the desire for the tender minis- 
trations of mother, wife or sister. It was 
natural, also, that they should think of the 
little home luxuries which would be so grate- 
ful now to their sickly tastes and feverish 
frames, but these vain, incessant longings 
always told sadly upon their condition. It 
was those who bore up with brave heart and 
strong will that came out the best, or perhaps 
one might say came out at all. Some, by 
yielding to the influence of the horrors 
about them, relapsed almost into a state of 
idiocy, and indeed it required no little care to 
preserve the type of intelligent manhood at 
all. The tendency of everything about us 
was to belittle both mind and body, and the 
call was urgent for a high standard of courage 
to resist the swelling current. In view of it 
we would say to every one just being intro- 
duced to prison-life from the army of his 
country, "Be hopeful, be courageous, for herein 
lies your strength." 

The day following the sensation notice of 
Capt. Wirz, he took several men into his 
employ for the purpose of digging a trench 



LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 109 

around the camp inside the "dead line" for 
the more ready discovery of any "tunnels" 
that might have been dug, and also to render 
it more difficult to attempt any more in the 
future. Doubtless he thought he was doing a 
smart thing, accomplishing that which would 
effectually put an end to all similar working, 
but even then Yankee ingenuity was busy in 
solving the problem — how this could be made 
void — and the result was a conclusion to dig 
under the trench, although it involved a 
greatly increased amount of labor. It was a 
time of sore extremity with us, and it was 
daily becoming worse, so that we felt from 
shrinking from no undertaking, however haz- 
ardous, that afforded the least .glimmer of 
hope that we might escape. The rations were 
miserable and wholly inadequate to the 
demands of anything like a healthy organiza- 
tion. About this time they were slightly 
varied in the shape of two buckets of mush 
for ninety men. "Chicken feed" the boys 
called it, and it seemed a very appropriate 
name, for it was nothing but coarse corn meal 



110 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

and water, with a little salt, half cooked. The 
manner of 

DISTRIBUTING THE RATIONS 

was as follows : — Once every day might be 
seen a large, uncovered army wagon, drawn 
by two span of mules, coming into the prison- 
gate, the driver seated upon the near mule 
behind, and an officer in the vehicle whose 
business it was to check what was issued to 
the sergeant who stood ready to take it from 
another who stood between them, and pass it 
over to the "ninety" which constituted the 
division over which he was placed. These 
"nineties" had sub divisions, so that the work 
of dividing and circulating the given material 
was quickly done, and indeed, often times this 
might be done by reason of the very small 
amount that was allowed for distribution. 

Among so many men, with such variety of 
taste and disposition, feeling and motive, it 
was not strange that some little incident, 
calculated to enhance the serenity, or disturb 
the equanimity of the prisoners, should be 
almost constantly occurring. Oftener it was 
the latter, as the passions of men, so little 



•LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 113 

restrained, found manifestation in a way they 
would not in the midst of civilized society, 
where public sentiment frowns upon anything 
like general disorder. It was not infrequent 
that one of the camp thieves or "raiders" 
would be arrested in his 'prowling operations 
at night, carried to the brook, to endure the 
process of "gagging" and "bucking" having 
one side of his head shaved, and this not 
being considered sufficient punishment, he 
would finally be thrown into the swamp, there 
to consider the propriety of discontinuing his 
"raids" for a season. Truly, "the way of 
transgressors is hard." 

Another thing which tended to keep up a 
little excitement was the frequency with 
which we were met by false promises from 
the heartless Captain over us. Notwithstand- 
ing the repeated instances of deception we 
had experienced, every fresh assurance would 
of course stimulate our hopes that possibly it 
might be true. When he told us that in four 
weeks Ave would surely be within our own 
lines, and that we would commence going out- 
in a few days, we could only say to each 



114 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

other, " time will prove the truth of the state- 
ment." " It may or may not be, — most likely 
the latter." 

Soon after these things were told us, the 
'•'rebs" showed unmistakable signs of alarm 
about something The working parties were 
all ordered inside the stockade, while their 
soldiers were posted around the outside of 
the prison, as if in expectation of an immedi- 
ate attack. Appearances indicated something 
quite out of the ordinary course of events, 
but it was of short duration, as they finally 
returned to their camps, and everything went 
on as usual. We afterwards learned that the 
whole thing was occasioned by a report that 
a body of our cavaly had crossed over Flint 
river, at a point only twelve miles from us. 
We began to reckon of " the good time com- 
ing" and were content to "wait a little longer" 
for it, provided it would only come, but as we 
heard nothing more from it we were obliged 
to consider the whole report incorrect, and 
settle ourselves down again to the toleration 
of our wretched lot. What this wretchedness 
includes, one may imagine somewhat if he 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 115 

seriously think what it means to have nothing 
but half a loaf of corn bread, weighing about 
six or seven ounces, as the only thing upon 
which to subsist for twenty-four hours. 

Whether what preceded the distribution of 
this short allowance had anything to do with 
it or not, I can not tell, but it was quite cer- 
tain that this was the way we had often been 
made to feel the power of their indignation. 
A number of " tunnels " were discovered about 
this time, and filled in by the "Old Dutchman' 1 
and his minions. This personage was none 
other than Capt. Wirz himself, who was best 
known in prison by that name. Indeed, a 
stranger would have thought it his only title. 
In all things that pertained to this common 
labor of the prison, he had become Argus-like, 
and every new discovery only tightened the 
cords which his hate would draw about us, but 
why should we cease f We could but perish 
if we were betrayed, and it was quite certain 
many would, if they remained much longer. 
One hundred and seventeen men were added 
to our number on the 28th, having been cap- 
tured at Cass Station, twenty-five miles from 



116 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Atlanta, in the rear of our army, but they 
were a stupid set, mule drivers, &c., and they 
brought us but little news of any character. 
The "Macon Confederate" was boasting of 
a great victory. Grant had been defeated 
with the loss of sixty thousand men, and Gen. 
Sherman's army was "greatly demoralized" 
but we felt a little inclined to make some 
allowance for its stories, since the latter had 
met such success in flanking Joe Johnston and 
his army, and to set down the paper as the 
chief of false teachers. 

The 29th was the day so often sung by 
Christian assemblies as the one of 

"All the week the best, 
Emblem of eternal rest," 

and do you wonder that I allowed memory 
and imagination to do their utmost to convey 
me to a different atmosphere ; that I found my 

SABBATH THOUGHTS 

to be recorded at its close in something of the 
following manner? "My mind has been at 
home to-day, and I have seen in imagination 
the dear old church with all its blessed associ- 
ations ; the Sabbath school with its teachers 



LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 117 

and scores of happy children, and last, but 
not least, ' the old homestead,' in its rural 
peace and quiet. I wonder if they know at 
home of our real condition here. If the 
nation itself knew of it, it seems as if we 
would be liberated, even if an army had to be 
raised for this work alone." 

Nearly a thousand prisoners came in on the 
afternoon of that Sabbath, what would have 
been considered a large congregation in many 
of our city churches at home. A few of 
them were those who had come from other 
rebel prisons, but the greater part of them 
were from Grant's army, and Siegel's corps in 
the Shenandoah valley. Some of the 1st Mass. 
regiment were among the number. They were 
captured just on the eve of their departure 
for home, their time having expired, and 
great must have been their disappointment to 
have been brought to such a place, when 
they had slmost felt the touch, and seen the 
smile of welcome from the Hoved ones at home" 

An almost equal number came in on the 
following day, among whom were a large 
number of Connecticut men. Twenty-four of 



118 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

the 8th regiment; fifty-two of the 7th; one 
hundred and thirty of the 11th ; and fifteen 
of the 21st. They all belonged to Gen. But- 
ler's division, and were captured two weeks 
before, in an attack upon Fort Darling, near 
Kichmond. Their captors had robbed them 
of everything, from blanket to haversack, so 
that there was nothing before them but actual 
suffering for the want of a covering amid the 
exposures to which they must be subject. 
That night I worked until near midnight, 
with a few friends, upon a * tunnel" It w r as 
new work for me, and rather hard, but I 
was willing to work hard, if I could only get 
out of that horrible den, into GocTs country 
once more. Our 

"MODUS OPERANDI" 

in "tunneling" was something after this sort: 
To begin with, a situation was selected near 
the dead line as possible, in order to make the 
distance as short as it could be to the outside 
of the stockade. A hole, or "well" as we 
termed it, was first sunk straight down to the 
depth of six or ^ight feet, and then the u tun- 
nel" proper was started towards the stockade, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 119 

under which it passed. But one man could 
dig at a time, but we often relieved each 
other, as the work was very fatiguing. As 
we continued our excavations the dirt was 
pushed back in the manner I have indicated 
before, in a meal sack, which we stole from 
the ration wagon for the purpose. Every 
morning a line of bright red earth could be 
seen along the edge of the swamp, the nightly 
result of the labors of earnest seekers after 
freedom. 

Every night fires were kindled at short 
intervals all around the prison, and a line of 
pickets posted outside these fires, so that 
"tunnels" had to be continued a long distance 
out in order to have the place of egress as 
safe as possible. We usually commenced 
operations about nine or ten o'clock at night, 
or as soon as it was dark enough to admit of 
our working without being seen by the vigi- 
lant sentinel upon the stockade. In this par- 
ticular we had the advantage of them, for we 
could plainly see and watch them by the 
light of the circle of pitch-pine fires around 
the prison, while they could not see us at all 



120 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

down in the darkness of the pit. In this 
instance, at least, we preferred "darkness 
rather than light," although our deeds were 
not evil. 

If the thing could be carried through to 
completion, some dark and stormy night would 
be chosen in which to pursue the pathway to 
light. The slight curtain of earth that had 
been left at the end would be carefully broken 
through, and those who had dug the lane 
would stealthily crawl out and make for the 
woods and swamps, but a few rods distant. 
After the owners had safely passed through, 
any one else was welcome to go out by the 
same way, ( and it was considered quite desira- 
ble to have them, as it distracted the blood- 
hounds, and prevented them from getting on 
the track of the first ones. Very few, how- 
ever, succeeded in making good their escape 
in this way, for insurmountable obstacles 
would almost invariably occur to render the 
attempt abortive. As we have before stated, 
it was almost impossible to complete anything 
of the kind without being betrayed to the 
Confederate authorities by some of the cow- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 121 

ardly traitors in our midst, who for the sake 
of an extra ration of corn bread, or a plug of 
tobacco, would tell all they knew of any 
attempt to escape, and beside it was not 
uncommon for a "tunnel," when nearly com- 
pleted, to cave in on account of the nature of 
the soil. 

Although the exertion made us tired and 
stif£ we yet continued our labors, and thought 
we were progressing gloriously, coming nearer 
and nearer to freedom every hour, when sud- 
denly we came upon an unlooked for barrier, 
which ended alike our visions and our efforts. 
An old hospital sink had been covered over in 
this very spot, and stood there a thing impen- 
etrable, between us and the liberty we thought 
w r e were bringing to ourselves. These were 
some of the "shadows" of camp life. If there 
were any " lights" they were the feeble hopes 
built upon rebel falsehoods. About the first 
of June they told us that the 51st Virginia 
regiment was at Andersonville for the purpose 
of guarding us to the place of exchange. 
Whether they were there or not we can not 
say, but we are quite sure we were not among 
any thus guarded. 



122 LTFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Prisoners still continued to be brought in, 
the majority from Butler's army, the remain- 
der from Sherman's, with the exception of 
some few from other prisons that were becom- 
ing somewhat unsafe, in consequence of the 
movements of our forces in too close prox- 
unit}'. Some eight or ten of the latter came 
on crutches, having already lost a limb in the 
service. We hardly saw the propriety of 
sending such men to us, for they could not 
ran away if they would. 

About this time there came a severe rain 
storm, giving us a good wetting, but we felt 
little like grumbling, for it proved a rich bless- 
ing to the camp, washing away an immense 
amount of filth. It was hard, however, for 
the thousands of men who had not even the 
poor shelter of a woolen blanket for their 
protection. It was just such a time as we 
might expect some poor fellow would try to 
make his escape, and a couple of shots after 
dark told us that such was probably the case, 
and this was the greeting he received. 

We had had but little rain in the early part 
of our history in camp, but now we began to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 123 

think that June was the rainy month in 
Georgia, and that it had set in, in right good 
earnest. We could not betake ourselves to 
any refuge from the tempest, and though the 
wind should blow, and the rain descend in 
torrents, we must stand and take it. Of 
course none will be surprised if we had to lay 
ourselves down to rest in rather of a moist 
condition, but let such a night be followed by 
good news from our army in the morning, and 
it was wonderful how it lessened the feeling 
of discomfort consequent upon it. It was at 
such time that we heard that Gen. Grant had 
broken Lee's center, and that the 5th corps 
occupied Mechanicsville, only four or five miles 
from Richmond; also that Fort Darling had 
fallen. It was almost too good to believe, 
and prudence suggested that we wait for its 
further confirmation before we were very 
jubilant over it, but it afforded us, at least, 
something to think upon. These things were 
also accompanied by the report that His 
Majesty, King Jeff, had asked for an armistice 
of six days, in which to repent of his evil 
ways, and seriously consider the question of 



124 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

submitting to lawful authority, but we in our 
prison hoped most sincerely, if anything of 
the kind had been asked, it would not be met 
by disgraceful comjwomises for the sake of 
peace, but by renewed activity on the part of 
our armies to bring things unto such a basis 
that the sword might be honorably sheathed, 
and the Union be restored and preserved as 
it should be. To hold any communication 
with the arch traitor for anything less than 
this was something of which we did not like 
to think. We were in a place that seemed to 
us to surpass all others in everything that 
tended to make life gloomy, but we could still 
say, a Our country forever " — " tribulation shall 
not make us part with our love for it." 

A miscellaneous crowd of prisoners came 
in on the 3d. who were captured at different 
times and places, having fought under the com- 
mand of three Generals, Grant, Burnside and 
Siegel. Some came in also from colored regi- 
ments. A number of the 54th Mass. regiment, 
and some others, were already of our number, 
and they were universally treated better than 
we white soldiers. They were taken outside 



LIFE IN REBEL TRISONS. 125 

every day to perform some labor, and allowed 
double rations, and also the privilege of buying 
things outside and bringing them into the 
prison at evening, and selling them to such as 
had any money, for a good round price in 
"greenbacks!' 

Rain was the order of the day about these 
times. It would commence very early in the 
morning and continue through the day, per- 
haps slacking just enough to enable us to 
cook a little. To those who dwell in their 
"ceiled houses" this may not seem a particu- 
larly important item, but to those who had no 
shelter, no alternative but to feel the pitiless 
torrents upon their stiffened, aching limbs, 
and no bed at night but the cold, wet ground, 
it was a matter of painful interest. The 
thunder would roar and the lightning flash, 
and we would have what the "rebels" would 
call a "right smart shower" but it was all the 
same to us, — we must take it. Imagine these 
wretched thousands trying to shield them- 
selves in every possible way from the fast fall- 
ing rain, and then see them turn hopelessly 
away and lie down, with their scanty- garments 



126 LIFE IX REBEL PRISONS. 

already drenched, to be tantalized with dreams 
of comfort, if so be that sleep does not utterly 
refuse to embrace them in such circumstances. 
Then, too, comes the waking hour, surely 
attended with the consciousness of weariness 
and pain, that can not be removed, since the 
aggravating cause is ever present. I remem- 
ber, myself, waking long before daybreak with 
these uncomfortable symptoms, and finding 
them my companions all the day long ; but I 
meant to keep well at all events, if determina- 
tion of will could do anything towards it. 
Sickness began to increase fearfully, in conse- 
quence of the wet weather, and many, doubt- 
less, died from the effect of exposure alone. 

The 4th of June I visited the outside world 
for the first time since my entrance into 
prison. An opportunity was offered to a few 
of us to go out after wood, and I gladly 
availed myself of it, just for the sake of 
breathing the pure air. Oh, how good it 
was for us to get out into the woods once 
more, among the trees and flowers ! It almost 
seemed like a new world, and my spirit rev- 
eled in the glad change for the brief season it 



LIFE IX REBEL PRISONS. 127 

was given me to enjoy it in, What a blessed 
thing it would have seemed to us then, if 
we could have made that place our home, 
instead of going back to that filthy den ! How 
much better it would have been for us to 
have made our bed under . the spreading 
branches of those trees, that would have done 
their best to have screened us from the chill- 
ing dews and falling rain, for the unconscious 
kindness of inanimate things is dearer to the 
heart than conscious, continued unhindness of 
living men, at least, we felt that it would have 
been so then. A half dozen men took advant- 
age of the freedom thus allowed, and made 
their escape, making the rest of us feel that 
the ban of jiroseription would be put upon 
all like privilege in the future. We were not 
with them when they managed to do the 
thing, but they "muzzled" or overpowered the 
guard that was with them, and left on a bee- 
line for their federal comrades somewhere. 

An unusual number of camp rumors were 

afloat on' the fifth, one of which was, that 

Pearson, the rebel' Colonel, had positively 

stated that the work of paroling would com- 

6 



128 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

mence on the following day. It was also told 
us that Gen. Lee had evacuated Richmond. 
We put them both down as rebel lies for we 
had seen and heard so much we would 
scarcely believe them upon oath, and the 
sequel proved us correct, for the next day 
came, and evening also, and paroling was 
something of which nothing was known or 
heard. 

Two or three days after this, several hun- 
dred more prisoners were brought in, some 
from the armies of Grant and Sherman, but 
many of them found their way thither as the 
result of a clearing out of the Richmond 
prisons and hospitals. Through this medium 
we learned that Gen Siegel had been relieved 
of his command, by order of Gen. Grant, for 
disobedience of orders, and that Maj. Gen. 
Hunter had taken his place ; also that Gen. 
Lee's head-quarters were at Danville, Va., he 
having fallen back from his position near 
Richmond. From every appearance the gen- 
eral condition of things did not seem calcu- 
lated to keep the rebel element about us very 
quiet. The men were in commotion, and evi- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 129 

dently manifested concern about something. 
They went busily to work planting artillery 
to command the camp and railroad, an effort 
that was understood when we found that 
Kilpatrick was operating with a cavalry force 
in the vicinity of Augusta. They were, no 
doubt, preparing to receive a visit from 
their Federal brother, and thought it advisa- 
ble to guard against too great intimacy with 
the household, in general, over which they 
presided. As for ourselves, whenever we 
thought of such a possible visit, we counted 
upon a violation of their laws of etiquette, 
and an acquaintance as intimate as we desired. 
We calculated to enter our complaint, and he 
in turn would show forth his sympathy in a 
way agreeable to us, but displeasing to them; 
but our imaginings were useless, as no oppor- 
tunity was given us at that time. We were 
to encounter the storms and tempests a little 
longer. This had come to be our daily expe- 
rience. Our blankets were getting worn and 
threadbare, and afforded us but poor protec- 
tion. The large drops beating against them 
would find their way through, and give us a 
thorough wetting. 



130 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Copies of the Charleston Mercury of the 
sixth and seventh found their way to our 
hands, giving an interesting account of a 
naval conflict on Albemarle sound, between 
the rebel iron ram of the same name, and 
several of our new wooden gunboats; also, 
the capture of the U. S. steamer "Water 
Witch^n Ossabaw sound, near Savannah, Ga., 
by five barges filled with "rebs" who boarded 
her as they did the Under Writer, at New- 
bern, N. C, last winter. The editorials of 
these papers expressed a great deal of regret 
that any of their State legislatures should 
advocate peace jwopositions at this time, as it 
would very likely be construed as an evidence 
of weakness on their part, and gratuitous infor- 
mation that tended to anything of this sort 
was against their principles. 

Although we were mindful of the allowance 
it was necessary to make for the communica- 
tions of these papers printed in rebeldom, yet 
they gave us something of an idea of what was 
passing on the other side ; a side from which 
we were as effectually barred as the Orientals 
in their strong-walled cities at night, as far as 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 131 

any intercourse was concerned. There was 
this difference, however, the gates opened for 
them every morning — for us, almost never. 
They could go forth to traverse the hills 
and vales beyond, as they wished, leisurely 
beholding the rising glories of early dawn, or 
musing with calm content upon the richer 
beauties of the setting sun. Noontide, morn 
and evening were alike to us, save as, now 
and then, we were hurried under a heartless 
guard, to some neighboring wood, to gather a 
small supply for our necessity, and then 
hastened back within lines and bars, rigidly 
drawn and securely fastened. 

The country about our camp was gently 
undulating, and not far from us were large 
pine forests, that evidently had not rang to 
the woodman's axe for a long time, if ever. 
In the immediate vicinity of our camp there 
was nothing green. Should anything struggle 
for life through the hard earth, it would soon 
be trodden down by the tramp of so many feet. 
It "might be that in some chosen corner, some 
dwarfed and stunted thing would be tenderly 
guarded, because of the idea of greenness and 



132 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

growth which it might impart. In this way 
a few stalks of Indian corn were permitted to 
grow, and it would have well nigh been con- 
sidered sacrilege to have destroyed what 
was so richly suggestive, to thousands of 
hearts there. How much the remembrance of 
kindred things had to do with our repeated 
attempts to escape, I will not say. At any 
rate we determined to keep them up. I 
became interested in still another "tunnel" 
and things again proceeded so far that it was 
almost ready to "break." If the weather was 
favorable, one more night, we thought, would 
be sufficient to complete the arrangement, 
and put us on the way to freedom. Before 
dark I went over to the other side of the camp 
to see Sergt. Maj. S — , with reference to it, and 
there learned to my surprise and deep regret, 
that it had caved in, after having been dug a 
distance of ninety feet. Disappointed feeling 
exclaimed, "This is too bad!" All our 
attempts to escape had been frustrated just 
as they had seemed on the point of succeed- 
ing, but remembering the old school motto — 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 133 

"If at first you don't succeed, 
Try, try again? 

we immediately began to dig for another. 
There might be this advantage in working 
under the earth, one might possibly keep dry. 
Above, thunder storms were the order of the 
day, sometimes one following another in quick 
succession. 

So much rain seemed to hold the pugilistic 
element in check, but the "raiders" event- 
ually meant to make up for lost time. On 
the return of a pleasant morning, they had 
five distinct fights before roll-call, which was 
in the early part of the day; but one 
must remember we had no laws but those of 
our own making, and these could not be 
enforced with authority they thought bind- 
ing. There seemed no way but for every one 
to follow the bent of his own inclination, and 
in numberless instances the leaning of the 
"tree" showed the unhappy twisting of the 
" twig " at some other period of history. 

For some days no prisoners were brought 
in, a circumstance that was quite remarka- 
ble, since they had been coming so rapidly 



134 LIFE IN REEEL PRISONS. 

almost every day, for a long time. But the 
absence of this excitement was balanced by 
the rumor in general circulation, that a thou- 
sand men were to be taken out of prison for 
the purpose of 

RETALIATION, 

as our government had showed signs of doing 
the same thing for the Fort J?illow massacre. 
" If it is so," we said, " let them try it, and see 
how they will succeed." "Perhaps in some 
way they may get a full cup wrung out to 
them." 

Amid all these unpleasant episodes of 
prison life we continued to brighten many 
an evening hour by talking over old home 
scenes, and rehearsing' the jolly times of old 
in our regiment, before we had been called 
"to hang our harps upon the willows," in a 
strange land. These things furnished us with 
•material for lively conversations, and reminded 
us of a story of two men who were once placed 
in the confinement of a cell for some years, for 
a matter relating to truth and conscience. No 
light was ever given them to show them the 
dismal walls of their windowless, sunless 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 135 

apartment, or to reveal to each other the 
features of his conrpanion. They could only 
listen to each other's voices, and the first year 
they whiled away the time by rehearsing in 
each others ears every little incident of their 
lives. The second year they amplified and 
embellished these as best they could, but the 
third found them altogether talked out, and 
no alternative left them but perjietual silence, 
so that the weariness of their confinement 
pressed heavily upon them, and there was 
danger that the mind would cease its power 
to work. It required no very great stretch 
of the imagination to take in the truth of 
this. Activity of mind, in any case, requires 
that it have its appropriate aliment to stimu- 
late it, and shut out for any considerable 
period of time from all this, it will necessarily 
grow feeble and sluggish. It is true that, as 
far as numbers were concerned, these were 
enough, but all were in the san*e condition, 
circumscribed in range of thought and action. 
It came to be quite an era in our lives if 
we could be guarded to the adjacent woods 
for a season. Several of the boys were 



136 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

allowed to go out in this manner on the 11th 
of what would have been the "month of 

roses in our own land. Sergeant F and 

one of the Corporals from our own little 
squad went out, and came back in great glee, 
bringing with them some beautiful flowers, 
and what was of more use to us, a good sup- 
ply of wood. They brought us a glowing 
account of the beauties of the outside world, 
making us ask again, in addition to times 
unnumbered before, " When will our irksome 
confinement end V That night the sun went 
down like a globe of fire, in the midst of rain 
clouds, and thus closed another week of our 
stay in what so many have called the " sunny 
South!' 

We awoke Sunday morning to find our 
thoughts "homeward bound? as usual. We 
wondered what they were doing, thinking 
and saying there, and it really seemed to do 
us good to think and dream of home. We 
felt that we should be fully prepared to appre- 
ciate its comforts, if we should live to return. 
Sixty-eight prisoners came in that day from 
Sherman's army, which they reported to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 137 

be near Marietta. The rations which awaited 
them and us were a few spoonsfull of 
uncooked rice, a tea spoonful of salt, and 
about two ounces of bacon, and this to be 
cooked and eaten amid the mud and misery 
which a regular "north-easter" was producing 
about us. 

It was said that one hundred and two died 
that day, and from what I saw I think it was 
true. We became so accustomed to death, it 
lost all its solemnities, and was looked upon 
as nothing unusual. Indeed, one or two could 
almost always be seen dying at the brook-side. 
For some reason the roll-call was omitted on 
the following morning, and the Sergeants of 
the "nineties" received orders to send the 
sick up to the prison gate. This at once gave 
foundation to the report that these were to be 
sent off to our lines, and that a large number 
beside were to be paroled. Many believed 
the rumor, and there was excitement for a 
while, but it soon passed away, as no one left. 
We were to learn that it was not very easy to 
gain a transition from our mud and filth to dry, 
cleanly things. It was very damp from inces- 



138 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

sant rain, and we suffered with the cold, but 
were better off than hundreds, yea, thousands, 
who lay down every night to seek their rest 
without any covering at all. Belle Island 
could not have been much worse. " Will God 
prosper a government which treats defence- 
less men like this V we asked, and we were 
answered, "No! it is a sin to think so for a 
moment." 

When I would have to stay in my little 
dog-kennel of a tent nearly the whole day, on 
account of rain, it was hard sometimes to 
keep from "feeling blue" but I had kept up 
good spirits so long, I reasoned with myself 
upon the propriety of continuing the same 
until I should step within Uncle Sam's lines, 
and then it would require no effort to be 
light-hearted; it would come as a matter of 
course. I emerged from my narrow quarters 
for a little season, on the afternoon of such a 
day, hoping to luxuriate in the woods for a 
time, as it was our turn to obtain fuel. We 
waited at the gate a long time, with the 
expectation of having it opened unto us, but 
were finally told by the rebel Sergeant that 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 139 

we could not go, and we went back to our 
tent again, to do as best we could, with our 
meal and bacon. 



CHAPTER IV. ! 

ARRIVAL OF PRISONERS. 

About the middle of the month things 
seemed to be growing worse and worse. 
Twenty-three hundred prisoners came in, in 
two days, the fifteenth and sixteenth, partly 
from Grant's army, but more from Butler's. 
"Poor fellows!" we said silently, as they came 
in, "it is an awful place for you to come into 
just now." It was bad enough at any time, 
but worse than ever then, because of the mud 
and filth which everywhere covered the 
ground. Several of our regiment who were 
left behind to take care of the wounded at 
Plymouth, were brought along with them, 
introducing a welcome visitor, in "Trip" Co. 
B's little dog, who had been with us long 
months before we were taken. We at once 



140 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

concluded to consider him a fortunate dog if 
he was not converted into steak or soup in 
the early part of his residence among us. 
We were actually suffering from hunger. 
When I attempted to arise from a sitting pos- 
ture I would find myself dizzy and blind for 
a few moments, and I could attribute it to 
nothing but our exceedingly meagre diet. 
It was poor in quantity and miserable in 
quality. At this time we had but just wood 
enough to cook a little rice for breakfast, and 
we could have nothing more the remainder of 
the day. Let the intensity of our cravings 
be ever so great, there was no remedy. Six 
of our "ninety" were at length permitted to 
gather their '- handful of sticks" that we 
might cook our cake of meal on the morrow, 
and truly men must be of the true metal to 
remain staunch and true through all this. 
That they did the following little incident 
will testify. 

A YANKEE TRAITOR 

who works in Americus, making shoes for the 
Jeff Davis government, said to be first and 
foremost in the shop, came into camp and was 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 141 

caught trying to entice out others to work 
with him. It excited the indignation of 
many, and as a fit punishment for what was 
esteemed his villainy, he was taken and half 
of his head shaved, and then left to make his 
way out, hooted and jeered at by the whole 
crowd, biy: even then it was considered alto- 
gether too slight for one who would dare 
tamper with their loyalty. This was a jeal- 
ously guarded treasure through the whole. 

Our hopes that things would be better after 
the visit to the woods, were not realized, for 
if nothing else we're in the way, the rain 
would seriously interrupt our cooking. The 
Orderly and myself made a breakfast of corn- 
meal and water, stirred together without salt, 
and half cooked upon a tin-plate, and a little 
scrap of bacon beside, although we felt it to 
be a shame to dignify such stuff by the name 
of " breakfast" 

In the after part of the day I went up for 
medicine for the sick men in our "mess" and 
while waiting for my turn to be served, I had 
a good confidential talk with one of the 
guards, whom I found to be a true Union man. 



142 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

He had been driven from his home into the 
Confederate army about four weeks before, 
although for a year and a half he had man- 
aged, in one way and another, to keep out of 
the service. He was a very intelligent man, 
of about middle age, and gave it as his opinion 
that the C. S. A. was about "played oitt." The 
heavy rains had destroyed the wheat crop, 
and it was doubtful in his mind if the Confed- 
erate government could subsist us three 
months longer. The matter thus represented, 
of course, made it appear more hopeful for us. 
He was looking for a speedy change in his 
own condition, for "as soon as your army 
crosses the Chattahoochee river," he said to 
me, "I shall turn away from these things and 
seek my home." When I. returned to my tent 
after this interview, I found that the old 
stories had been renewed with great zest, and 
that some believed that transports were at 
Savannah, with rebel prisoners for exchange. 
The number, however, who had been ready to 
receive such doctrine had greatly diminished, 
and there was no lengthened exultation over 
this. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS, 143 

Scenes of a different character soon engaged 
our attention. A man who was quietly sleep- 
ing in his little blanket tent near the edge of 
a well, was suddenly buried alive by the fall- 
ing in of the earth. This was followed not 
long after, by the wounding of two men by 
the guard. A man had stepped inside the 
" dead line" and was at once fired upon, but 
instead of receiving any injury himself, it had 
fallen on the innocent two who were lying 
down in their tent. Amid these scenes we 
noted the arrival of ninety-five more men; 
those who had belonged to a raid sent from 
Memphis, Tenn., under command of Gen. 
Sturgis, and were attacked and badly defeated 
by the rebel Gen. Forrest, at a place in Mis- 
sissippi. Gen. Sturgis is said to have been 
intoxicated during the engagement, and that 
as soon as he saw things were likely to go 
against him, he turned away with a portion 
of his cavalry, and sought to save himself 
from capture. A recruit for our regiment was 
among the number who came in. He was 
captured on a raid in Hertford Co., N, C., and 
that was the first time he had ever seen the 



144 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Sixteenth, to which he was bound. Quite a 
novel place to join them in. 

On the morning of the 20th we heard that 
gold was down to 119 in New York, and that 
many brokers had been ruined by its decline. 
We thought, however, that it was good news, 
if only true, for surely it would not have had 
such a fall, but for great military successes, 
and these were our special delight. We were, 
ourselves, in a situation to do nothing, and it 
afforded us intense satisfaction to know that 
the wheels of progress were moving. It 
called all our energies into requisition to keep 
the air rent of life in our own bodies from 
utter stagnation. We attempted to build a 
mud stove for our comfort, as there was plenty 
of that material at hand, but the rain made 
our labor ineffectual. Already we had seen 
twenty days of rain in succession, and we 
began to reckon on becoming used to it. 

That day Corporal B , of our regiment, 

who had been long time in a sickly condition, 
finished his earthly course. He was the first 
of our number to die in that place, and it 
very naturally gave rise to the inquiry, in 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 145 

thoughtful minds, "Who will go next through 
the dark valley into the spirit world ?" The 
blows of the fell destroyer were falling thick 
and fast, and none could ward them off. By 
night and day he rioted in our midst, claiming 
his victims by the score, and forcing upon us 
the reflection that 

" The appointed house, by heaven's decree, 
Receives us all at last." 

While awaiting the completion of the new 
* stockade, the roll-call was omitted a few morn- 
ings, and lest some have a wrong idea of this, 
I will here say, that names were never called, 
but every morning a rebel Sergeant would 
make his appearance, at which time we would 
fall in, four ranks deep, when he would count 
us, and make sure that everything was right 
before he left us. This intermission, we 
thought, would have afforded us a fine oppor- 
tunity to escape without being missed, if 
other things had been favorable, but hitherto 
some "unconquerable bar" had always been 
interposed between us and freedom, and there 
seemed little encouragement to proceed. Be- 
side, the rebels were on the alert, being in 



146 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

constant expectation of an attack, as it was 
reported that our cavalry were in the imme-* 
diate vicinity. Nearly all the forces about 
the prison were sent away, leaving scarcely 
none but the guard on the stockade. In this 
period two hundred more from Gen. Sturgis' 
raid came in, all giving the same story in 
regard to the shameful conduct of their com- 
mander. Thus can it be seen how little our 
every-day life varied. Almost constantly we 
were seeing new ones come in to swell the 
tide of misery for themselves and us. Now 
we would see a "raider" led by our tent in 
chains, with his head shaved, to some place of 
punishment, and again the report of some 
gun would tell us that some poor and perhaps 
unconscious trespasser had gone too near the 
line of death, and had sealed his fate with his 
blood. It was so on that day. One poor 
fellow was shot through the body just for 
reaching inside the a line" to get a root for 
the purpose of making a little fire to do some 
cooking. The one who thus shoots a soldier, 
it is said, receives a "furlough" as a reward 
for the very virtuous deed< he has done. The 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 147 

absolute truth of this I can not vouch for, but 
I have noticed that almost invariably the man 
who performs such an act is relieved from 
duty by another person, and he is not seen. 
Desirable as a furlough might be, I would 
poorly relish it, if gained only by murdering 
a helpless fellow creature. Not long after 
this I narrowly escaped a similar fate myself. 
Going up after medicine for the "ninety" I 
ignorantly stepped over the boundary line, 
but looking up just in season to observe the 
attitude of the too willing sentinel, I saw my 
danger and saved my life. 

Almost every afternoon, at four o'clock, it 
was the duty of the Sergeant of the "nineties" 
to obtain remedies for the sick, provided there 
were any to be had. After roll-call in the 
morning the sick ones were allowed to go out 
of the gate, into an enclosure made for the 
purpose, and the rebel surgeons would pre- 
scribe for them, and also admit a few to the 
hospital. Then, whatever their sufferings 
might be, they must go nearly all the day 
long with nothing to alleviate them, but we 
might consider it good fortune if, even then, 



148 , LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

any soothing draught could be obtained where- 
with to ease the pain which was often times 
intense, from the aggravated form which 
disease would almost necessarily take under 
such a regime as we were all subject to. 

The cheerful sunshine came to bless us at 
length. The twenty-third was a warm, bright 
day, and three hundred more prisoners marked 
their entrance into prison then; not a very 
desirable era in their history, as they will 
soon find out, we thought. They were from 
the 2d corps, and were captured at Peters- 
burg, Va., about a week before. They reported 
our forces close upon that city then, and 
we fancied it already ours ; — yes ! ours, for 
did we not still belong to the hopeful Union, 
and were not her victories ours also? We 
were identified with our country's struggle in 
a peculiar sense, and her prosperity was never 
dearer to us than then. It gave us courage 
to hear from them that Grant's army was in 
excellent condition, and constantly receiving 
reinforcements. Hope was slightly confirmed, 
also, by the assertion that a copy of the New 
York Herald was in circulation through the 



LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 149 

prison, in which it was stated that " exchange' 9 
was to commence on the 7th of the coming 
July, and that transports had already left that 
city for Savannah, with that end in view. We 
longed to know if it was really so, for the 
suspense we were in was terrible, and this, 
combined with the actual privation we were 
constantly enduring, made the days seem 
insufferably long. That night we had no 
bacon with our rations at all, — nothing but a 
pint and a half of corn meal, and a little salt, 
for twenty-four hours. Many of the men 
would eat up what they .received at a single 
meal, and then go hungry until the next issue. 
The morning following this, we had some 
fresh meat, from which the orderly and myself 
made a pretty good soup. That which came 
to our part of the detachment was very good, 
but much of it was miserable, being badly 
tainted and full of maggots. 

During the day, notice was given to all pris- 
oners, who had their money and valuables 
taken from them at Richmond, to send in their 
names with the amount of their loss, to Gen. 
Winder, and he would settle with them. We 



150 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

assigned it just about the same place in our 
belief that we did many other things they 
said, supposing, of course, that it would 
amount to nothing, or at least nothing more 
than an order upon the rebel sutler, which 
was equivalent to the same, at the prices he 
charged for every thing. 

In conjunction W T ith this came another hum- 
bug. The rebel regiments about us, it was 
said, had an order read to them at dress 
parade, announcing to them that in about 
three weeks they would be allowed a fur- 
lough, as the prisoners were to be sent away. 
It would have been a most agreeable truth, 
but unhappily there was none of that virtue 
about it, and it was perpetrated for reasons 
best known to our enemies themselves. 

The weather was getting very warm, and to 
preclude the necessity of toiling and sweating 
in .the hot sunshine, we adopted the plan of 
rising before sunrise, to cook our scanty 
breakfast, and we found it to add materially 
to our comfort. We could but think of our 
comrades in the Union army, who were 
marching and fighting in the intense heat 



LIFE IN REBEL PRJSONS* 151 

"God grant them victory!" was our hearty 
prayer. 

General Sturgis' ill-fated raiding party still 
continued to furnish small additions to our 
number. 

According to the reports they brought, it 
seemed that opposing forces sometimes came 
very near each other. Forrest had been 
within one mile of our pickets at Memphis, 
and captured many prisoners, and these had 
been re-captured by a force sent out by our 
officers to repulse them. We could certainly 
congratulate the rescued. At this time I 
received a letter from Adjutant Clapp, who 
was a prisoner at Macon, from which I learned 
that five generals, eleven colonels, twenty-five 
lieutenant-colonels, and nine majors — fifty in 
all — had been sent away from that place for 
exchange. Lieut. Col. Burnham, of our own 
regiment, was among the fortunate number. 

Plainly the hour of our release had not come, 
and we must content ourselves as well as we 
could under rebel jurisdiction, until such time 
as we could hail the promised day of jubilee. 
Meanwhile, I must studiously consult duly and 



152 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

interest, in no wise neglecting the former to 
secure the latter, unless I wished my life to 
pay the forfeit. 

It again came my turn to go out with the 
squad after wood. We obtained our scanty 
supply, and were on our way back to prison, 
when we stopped for a few moments to rest. 
I improved the opportunity to dig all the red 
root that I could, as it was a valuable remedy 
for diarrhea, which was distressingly prevalent 
in camp. The sergeant in charge of the guard 
was rather cross and surly, and allowed us but 
a little time to get breath, and then ordered 
us on again. In my haste I left my knife 
upon the ground, and did not discover my loss 
until I was nearly back to the stockade. The 
sergeant then refused to let me return for it. 
I was just giving it up for lost, when Captain 
Wirz came riding along, and as a last resort I 
appealed to him. For a wonder he told me to 
go with him, and, walking his horse, he went 
with me to the spot where I had used the 
knife, and thus I recovered it. If I had failed 
to find it, he would have doubtless thought I 
was guilty of deception, and shot me through 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 153 

without any remorse whatever. As we 
went back toward the prison-gate, we met 
other squads of prisoners going after wood, 
under guard, and seeing me in company with 
the ''Old Dutchman" they supposed I had 
been captured in an attempt to escape, and 
consequently had a great many jokes at my 
expense. The captain, noticing this, remarked 
to me, "They tuiks you have pen up to some 
tevilment" The next day when the squad 
w r as called for again to go out after wood, no 
one wished to go, and I concluded to try it 
once more, though my feet were pretty sore. 

While we were waiting at the gate to let 
the dignitaries pass us through, there came up 
a thunder-storm, and as a matter of course we 
received a thorough drenching. We were not 
to be intimidated by this, however, and went 
on, finding it all the more pleasant in the 
woods because of it. Our guard this time 
were very accommodating, and we had a right 
good time among the trees and flowers. While 
we were out, six or seven hundred prisoners 
from Grant's army entered the prison, and 
about the same number had been introduced 



154 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

the day before. The last ones had been treat- 
ed with the greatest severity at Richmond. 
They had been stripped and searched, and at 
length turned in upon us with almost nothing 
for their comfort. 

The days now when prisoners did not come 
in were exceptions. About three hundred and 
fifty came on the 29th, mostly from Western 
Virginia, and they brought us some good 
tidings. They informed us that Gen. Pope 
entered Lynchburg while Gen. Hunter had 
drawn away the enemy's forces by a feigned 
retreat, and that he had destroyed the im- 
mense tobacco warehouses in the city, and 
also the large bridge over the James river at 
that point, although he failed to hold the 
place. 

One of the men told me that he bought a 
paper on his way, which stated that the ex- 
change of prisoners would commence on the 
7th of the following month. As this coincided 
in every respect with a previous report, we 
could not but think it had some foundation. 
Surely anything that would appear twice alike 
must mean something. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 155 

These new comers afforded the "raiders? or 
camp-robbers, fresh opportunities to continue 
their work. They seized upon one of these, 
and it was soon seen that it was 

A ROBBERY 

in earnest. After severely beating and cut- 
ting his head, they took from him his watch 
and $175 in money. He entered a complaint 
to Captain Wizz, and the whole camp being 
completely aroused, a crowd collected, armed 
with clubs, who began to arrest the gang as 
fast as possible. As soon as one was caught, 
he was handed outside to the care of the 
rebels, who were to watch over them until 
they could be tried by our men. A few, 
against whom positive proof could not at once 
be brought, were sent into prison again, where 
they had to run the gauntlet between a long 
line of enraged men, who, armed with heavy 
clubs, dealt blows at the miscreants as they 
ran past. 

One man was killed while undergoing the 
punishment. About fifty of the band were 
caught, and the prospect was good that the 



156 • LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

infernal proceedings which had so long been 
continued would come to an end. 

All through the next day they were hunted 
with great success. The Eebel Quartermaster, 
rebel sergeants and guard, went into the 
prison, and, piloted by a notorious character 
known as "Limber Jim" and his comrades, 
they soon ferreted out the infamous scoun- 
drels. They were taken outside, where they 
were to be tried by a jury of twelve men 
selected from the newly arrived, who of course 
would know the least about them, and would 
therefore be more impartial in rendering the 
verdict. Beneath their tents were found 
knives, pistols, watches, money, &c, and it is 
said that buried beneath one tent was the 
body of a man who was supposed to have 
been murdered by them. 

It was a day of great excitement, and one 
which we thought would place an effectual 
barrier against such operations in the future. 

Fourteen prisoners came in on the afternoon 
of the day, and among them was James Mar- 
tin, of our regiment, whom we all supposed to 
be dead. His appearance created quite a sen- 



LIFE IN KEEEL PRISONS. 157 

sation, and we gave him a hearty welcome to 
our hearts, if not to the prison. 

He was wounded on the skirmish line at 
Plymouth, on the second night of the attack, 
and was then taken prisoner and conveyed to 
Wilson C. H., North Carolina, where he was 
treated with the utmost kindness, so that he 
became quite well. 

While the surgeons were attending to our 
sick at this time, they were suddenly ordered 
off, and left in a hurry without much cere- 
mony. We conjectured that there might be 
special need of their services at Atlanta, and 
that this was the cause of their hasty de- 
parture. 

On the first day of July, the 

ADDITION TO THE STOCKADE 

was completed and opened for the reception 
of the prisoners. All detachments, above forty- 
eight in number, were ordered to be inside of 
it in two hours, and failing to do this, their 
blankets, &c, would be confiscated. This, 
then, was the alternative, — thirteen thousand 
men must crowd through an opening about 



158 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

ten feet wide, in two hours, or lose all their 
little property which was so very precious to 
them there. There was a perfect stampede 
towards the open place, and the camp, gener- 
ally, presented a very animated scene. We 
grew "beautifully less" in a short time, leaving 
us a larger space in which to move and 
breathe, than we had known for a considerable 
period. 

Our own regiment was to retain its position 
as before. During the night the part of the 
old stockade left standing between us and the 
new, was visited by an extensive "raiding" 
party, the men from all parts of the prison 
working until nearly morning in pulling down 
and carrying it off for fuel, so that at day- 
light but a very small portion of it was left 
standing. Then came the rumor that Capt. 
Wirz had ordered that no more rations should 
be issued until the timber was replaced, 
but such orders we received with the same 
coolness as usual. The day was filled with 
more or less excitement on account of the 
reports concerning "exchange" which were 
flying through the camp. The date fixed 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 159 

upon was the 7th of the month, and as this 
was the same we had heard mentioned at two 
different times, and upon separate occasions, 
before, we thought it might be possible that 
it had a truthful foundation. We heard, too, 
that the people of the North were greatly 
aroused in regard to the subject, and were 
holding indignation meetings, and petitioning 
Congress to interpose in our behalf. If this 
were true, we hoped for good results to accrue, 
and therefore looked with some solicitude to 
the approaching day. The intervening time 
was short, and hope, and sometimes fear, was 
in the ascendant, lest the story should prove 
a fiction, and we be still left "in the storm." 
We could only bring ourselves to meet it, if 
it should be, and 

M With a heart for any fate, 
Still achieving, still pursuing, 
Learn to labor and to wait." 

The latter grace, particularly, it seemed we 
might gain to perfection, if we were apt pupils 
at all. We were realizing the vision of the 
poet, in more than one respect, for we were 
leaving "footprints" not only upon "the sands 
of time," but perchance upon other and more 



160 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

enduring material. Our imprisonment had a 
purpose to accomplish, and the part it would 
perform in future history might do more than 
we could imagine. Thus we might sublimely 
theorize, but our painful experience would still 
thrust itself upon us, and make our desires 
strong and earnest for the fulfillment of our 
hopes that had been newly awakened. 

The first Sabbath of the month came on 
the third, and we thought of our friends at 
home gathering around the sacramental table, 
and we longed to be there, to enjoy with them 
the blessed feast, and the communion of kin- 
dred spirits, but we knew we were not forgot- 
ten; that, though absent, there were many 
who would send us a wish and a thought, 
and that in pr ay ers which would wing their way 
upward the soldier and the friend would have 
a place. 

Life in camp certainly needed grace, ■ in 
measures "large and free" to keep the spirit 
quiet, for externally there was but little to 
calm the mind and stay its restless surges. 
Through this Sabbath there was a great deal 
of confusion, among the prisoners composing 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 161 

the newly arrived detachments, and it took 
almost the entire day to get things into a 
condition of tolerable order. Boll-call was 
resumed throughout the entire prison, and no 
rations at all issued in all the long hours, so 
that we laid down to our rest at night, the 
helpless victims of hunger. We thought a 
corresponding prison-life might be a good 
reform school for some of the Northern cop- 
perheads ; they would be so struck with the 
amount of sympathy displayed by their 
"Southern brethren;" their "wayward sisters" 
Monday brought " the glorious fourth" 
One year before, it had found us up the Penin- 
sula, about eighteen miles from Richmond. 
Little did we dream that its next anniversary 
would find us in such a predicament, but there 
we were, and we must make the best of it. 
We wondered what was being done ; if Rich- 
mond was ours, and with it Lee's army, or if 
we were to fight longer for the prize. The 
"rebs" were busy all day in re-numbering the 
detachments, preparatory to a parole, it was 
said. Our number was changed from forty- 
three to ninety-five, and we had numberless 



162 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

secret questionings as to what effect it would 
have upon our destiny, if exchange should 
really be determined upon. I wished to keep 
fast hold of my confidence in the government, 
although the faith of many was growing 
weak. Reason asserted that there must 
be some satisfactory why that we were not 
exchanged, for surely we would not be left to 
die of gradual starvation, month after month, 
without it were so. I saw a man in the 
morning who was completely discouraged, 
and, really, he seemed partially insane. He 
refused to eat what little was given him, and 
declared that he was going to die in that way. 
" You will not have to try very hard" I said to 
myself, as I gazed upon his pallid face and 
emaciated form. It seemed that all must 
meet a similar fate, unless there should be 
some change, for the material for food that we 
had just received was raw, and we had no 
means whatever of cooking anything then, 
as wood was wanting. Notwithstanding our 
cheerless condition, some were inclined to 
show some remembrance of the day. One of 
the boys had a few percussion caps, and by 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 163 

snapping these with a fragment of brick and 
a tenpenny nail, we had a miniature celebra- 
tion, the oration and refreshments being indefi- 
nitely postponed. It might be that at home 
they were firing cannon over some victory 
that we knew nothing about; perhaps pub- 
licly eulogizing some General who had sud- 
denly won immortal fame by some brilliant 
achievement, and thus fostering national pride. 
We hoped it were so, for loyalty had not 
been starved out of us altogether, and we 
could rejoice in the country's prosperity even 
there. 

It was not very warm just at this time, but 
we had a great deal of sickness. The Cath- 
olic priest was in almost daily, visiting the 
sick of his own order, and giving a word of 
good counsel to all. He was untiring in his 
administration of the rites and consolations of 
the Romish church to sick and dying Catho- 
lics. Clergymen of orthodox denominations I 
thought would do well to imitate his example 
in faithfulness and kindness to the dying 
soldier. We sometimes tried to draw out 
from him some information of matters in the 



164 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

world outside, but we could seldom gain any- 
thing, as lie was not allowed to make any 
communications to the . prisoners under pen- 
alty of being forbidden admission to the 
prison. 

Evenings called together a circle for prayer, 
and we had some good seasons in letting faith 
rise into a "serener atmosphere" and who 
shall tell how richly freighted with blessing 
were those evening breezes to the waiting 
souls ; who tell of the heavenly whisperings f 
since 

" More things are wrought by prayer, 
Than this world dreams of." 

It was understood at this time that it would 
become a permanent institution, and that 
every return of the twilight hour, would 
bring the praying band together in some part 
of the camp. 

On the 6th our number was increased by 
three or four hundred from Danville, Va., who 
had been captured in an attempt to destroy 
the railroad. They tore it up for a distance of 
thirty miles before they were obliged to dis- 
continue their labors by rebel interference. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 165 

They told us that Gen. Speare was there with 
his cavalry brigade, and we counted upon 
something being done, since he never did 
things by halves. They all agreed in saying 
that Kichmond was completely surrounded, 
and that everything was working well, the 
fighting continuing day and night, worse, if 
anything, during the latter season, than in the 
day. We set this down as good and reliable, 
and hoped accordingly. 

We concluded the day with another interest- 
ing meeting by the brook-side, near our quar- 
ters, and we could but think it would have some 
good effect. The boys seemed more willing 
than ever to "hear the word" and it is to be 
hoped that the Recording Angel carried some 
good news to the upper world that night, 
respecting some poor soul in that little assem- 
bly. 

The day so long before fixed upon for the 
commencement of the work of exchange, at 
length dawned upon us, and each hour found 
us anxiously awaiting the revelations of the 
next. We watched for the moments to be 
"big with blessing" but they did not come. 



166 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Nothing unusual marked any part of the day, 
and at night one might have looked in upon 
hundreds and thousands of disappointed ones. 
Many had firmly believed it for a long time. 
They had confidently expected thai it would 
be the date of their release. It was a release 
from earth to one of our regiment. J. Hoskins 
closed his eyes upon all that was mortal that 
day, and the mysterious fingers of death were 
busy in severing the cord that bound several 
others to life. I then wished that the President, 
under whose banner we had fought, could look 
in upon our sufferings, for surely the sight 
would move him to help us, if any thing could 
be done. Live worms crawled upon the bacon 
that was given us to eat. "It is all right" we 
said ; " we are nothing but Yankee prisoners, or, 
as the rebels usually speak of us, "damned 
Yankees" 

A party of three hundred more took up 
their permanent abode with us on the 8th. 
One hundred and twenty-five were from 
James Island near Charleston, and the re- 
mainder from Petersburg, Ya. Those from 
the former place were captured in a miserably 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 167 

sustained attack upon it, led by Gen. Davis. 
Five of the forty boats that were to land their 
forces, they say, had touched the shore, when 
a fire of grape and canister sent terror to the 
hearts of the rest, who beat a hasty and cow- 
ardly retreat, leaving their General and the 
men who had already landed to fall into the 
hands of our enemies, and theirs. The follow- 
ing day, four hundred more names were en- 
tered on the roll-call. These, too, came from 
the vicinity of Petersburg, having been all 
the while since the 27th of June in reaching 
us. Some of our old friends in Spear's Cavalry 
were in the crowd, to begin their experience 
of the horrors of rebel administration. 

Almost every day brought something to 
excite fresh disgust. A short time after the 
opening of the new apartment, I took a stroll 
over to its ground, and had a look at some of 
the new wells that were being dug there. 
One of them had been sunk to the depth of 
sixty-five feet, and still lacked completion. It 
was very difficult to obtain water in this man- 
ner, and the great mass of the prisoners had 
to depend for their supply on the little brook 



168 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

which ran through the prison, and which a 
great part of the time was completely covered 
tvith floating grease and offal from the cook-house, 
which was situated just outside the stockade. 
Of course nothing but stern necessity would 
have made them willing ever to have touched 
their lips to such a forbidding mixture. How 
grateful then would have been the clear water 
of some bubbling spring from the Northern 
hill-sides ! How refreshing would have been 
a draught from some "old oaken bucket" in a 
"moss-covered ivell" whose sparkling depths had 
not been stirred by unclean hands ! It would 
have seemed like a "God-send" to many a 
weary prisoner, especially to the thirsty, fever- 
stricken invalids. The suffering occasioned by 
lack in this respect can be seen in the follow- 
ing instance, which was only one of many. 
One morning the Rebel authorities issued an 
order to the effect that all who were too sick 
to walk should be carried outside the prison- 
gate by their comrades. Such a great number 
went up that they were not all allowed to go 
out, and those who did were left nearly all day 
in the burning hot sun, before they were conveyed 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 169 

to the hospital, without a drop of water. We 
were told upon good authority, that about thirty 
of them died while lying there in that wretched 
condition. What might not pure, cold water 
have done for some of them ? It was only a 
specimen of the utter heartlessness of our 
foes. We felt that we would be glad if the 
suffering could be limited to those already in, 
instead of having it constantly augmented by 
new arrivals; but there seemed no prospect of 
an end, for the army at Petersburg were again 
diminished by eleven hundred, while ours in- 
creased correspondingly. These men had to 
march eighty miles, in consequence of the de- 
struction of the railroads by our raiding parties. 
This looked like operating somewhat unfavor- 
ably upon Gen, Lee's communications. 

Sickness, now, was rapidly increasing. Many 
of the boys had been obliged to give up and 
go to the hospital. Uncooked rations, without 
salt or wood to cook them with, were the order of 
the day. Hearing that Hitchcock of Co. C in 
our regiment, was sick, I went over to see 
him. He was almost gone. Not many hours 
after, he went to his long home, where no 



170 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

rebel could trouble him any more. He was a 
quiet, good boy, and, we believe, ready for his 
summons to depart. Thus, another of our 
number has ended his marches and conflicts, 
his trials and sorrows. 

Strangely different scenes often follow each 
other in prison, and it was so at this time. The 
12th was a day of unusual excitement. 

A GALLOWS 

had been erected on the south side of the 
prison, and it was said that half a dozen of 
the camp-robbers, who had been tried and found 
guilty, were to be hung. At half-past four in 
the afternoon, Capt. Wirz came in with the six, 
under a rebel guard, and turned them over to 
the Police, or Vigilance Committee. They 
had been convicted of murder and robbery, and 
were sentenced to be hung until they were dead. 

Upon giving them up for punishment, he 
made the following remarks: "These men 
have been tried and convicted by their own 
fellows, and I now return them to you in as 
good condition as I received them. You can 
now do with them as your reason, justice, and 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 171 

mercy dictates. And may God protect both 
you and them." 

The Catholic priest begged hard that their 
lives might be spared, but finding himself un- 
successful in this, he turned his attention to 
their spiritual condition, and spent a season in 
prayer for them. They themselves seemed 
strangely unconcerned, apparently thinking it 
was simply an affair got up thoroughly to 
frighten them, and they appeared to cling to 
the idea, even until they had ascended the 
platform erected for their execution. As they 
were about mounting the scaffold, one of them 
broke from the men who were holding him, 
and ran through the crowd, across the swamp, 
to the opposite hill-side, as if by one desperate 
effort he would escape his fearful doom, that 
began to take on the semblance of reality. 
He was captured, however, and led back; and 
as he was securely placed with the other five, 
such forlorn wretchedness, such miserable hopeless- 
ness, was visible in his countenance, as is im- 
possible to describe. Opportunity was given 
them to speak, if they had any thing they 
wished to say. They said a few words, bidding 



172 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

their comrades take warning by their fate. 
One, mindful of his relatives in this last hour, 
wished a friend to call upon them in New 
York City, if he should live to get home. 
These words ended, meal-sacks were drawn 
over their heads, the fatal ropes were adjusted, 
and as the drop fell, the rope around the neck 
of the leader of the gang broke, thus setting him 
free. He was at once taken up, had it re-ad- 
justed, and was pushed off; the whole six were 
thus suddenly launched into the eternal world. 
It was a sad spectacle to see their bodies 
swinging in the air, but we felt it to be just, 
and another illustration of the truth, that 
"The way of transgressors is hard." 

Their depredations had been carried on so 
long, and with such a bold hand ; they had 
become so reckless of human life and prop- 
erty, it was necessary that an example should 
be made of them in such a way as to make a 
lasting impression upon all those who should 
be similarly inclined. Prisoners were coming 
in every day. Of course the crowd comprised 
all classes and dispositions, and it was desirable 
to have some system of law and order that 
would control the mass. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 175 

The knowledge of such a fact would, at 
least, inspire the newly-arrived with something 
of wholesome fear, and the general tendency 
would be to keep in check a like outburst. 
Although the "raging element" had been com- 
paratively small, it had been productive of 
most unhappy consequences, and we longed 
to have it shorn of its power, and severe 
measures were alone requisite for its accom- 
plishment. 

Five or six hundred came from Petersburg 
before the day closed. 



CHAPTER V. 

NEW " TUNNELS.' 



About this time the influx of prisoners was 
rapid and great. Six or seven hundred came 
in on the morning of the 12th. They brought 
us information that we could hardly credit: — 
that the remnant of our regiment was consol- 
idated with the 6th and 7th Conn. Volunteers, 
and were in the front at Petersburg. It might 



176 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

be true, but of one thing we were certain, 
that we were still condemned to mush and 
meat, and it kept the idea of escape in con- 
stant agitation. Having made the acquaint- 
ance of Sergt. Maj. C , who was interested 

in the subject, I finally decided to try "tun- 
neling" again, in company with him, H. P — , 
and others. I had very little hope of success, 
however, since we had been baffled in so 

many attempts, but I called upon Jack F , 

an old and experienced hand in the business, 
and received so much good advice, I felt 
encouraged to go on, when the favorable time 
for working should appear. This was not at 
all hours, as has been seen. Meantime, the 
usual routine was to be observed with the 
same calmness as ever. The meeting at even- 
ing was upon our side of the prison, and con- 
ducted by Sergt. Card, of the 19th Regular 
Infantry. It was an interesting season, and 
at its close, it being very pleasant, several of 
us prolonged our conversation until nearly 
midnight, rehearsing scenes and stories of the 
past, which came before us pleasantly and 
vividly. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 177 

We awoke early on the following morning, 
and went to work with the rest of the boys 
to build a mud stove, our old one having 
been destroyed by digging under it for roots 
to burn, Wheil we completed it, it was a per- 
fect model in appearance, and attracted a great 
deal of attention. We only hoped that, for 
the sake of comfort, it might be as fair in its 
operations as in its looks. Great news was 
in circulation that morning. The pirate * Ala- 
bama," it was said, was sunk by three of our 
steamers, and w r e were told, also, that Gen. 
Lee had again invaded Maryland with his 
army. Various things seemed to exist to 
cause unwonted excitement. The Sergeants 
in charge of messes w r ere all ordered outside, 
in obedience to orders from Capt. Wirz, who 
informed them that he had discovered an 
organized body of six thousand men who had 
planned a 

NEW OUTBREAK, 

and he threatened if the attempt was made, to 

open with his artillery upon the prison, and 

"Jire as long as there was a man kicking'' 

Somebody had humbugged him in fine style, 
8 



178 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

for no such thing was in contemplation, much 
less in process of working. 

A little later in the day we were a little 
excited by hearing the rifled pieces, bearing 
on the prison, very suddenly discharged. 
They were loaded with blank cartridges, as it 
proved, and no damage was done. Immedi- 
ately following these discharges, a great com- 
motion was visible in the rebel camps. The 
regiments fell in at the double quick, and 
formed in line of battle around the stockade. 
All the pieces of artillery were manned, and 
we thought our forces must surely be in the 
vicinity, but such hopes were, as usual, blasted, 
and we learned that it was merely an attempt 
on the part of the Confederate authorities to 
see how quick they could get their troops out 
in case we really should try to force the 
stockade. Amid it all, the Captain so far 
softened as to promise that we might go out 
after wood under guard, at the same time 
acknowledging that "he knew we were suffer- 
ing for it" He spoke, also, of our President, 
as Mr. Lincoln, in the course of his remarks, 
and we. thought it quite an improvement on 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 179 

the titles with which he had been wont to 
designate him. The next day our forces num- 
bered seventy more, who had been captured 
near Atlanta. They were bearers of positive 
news, to the effect that two corps of Gen. 
Sherman's army had crossed the Chattahoo- 
chee river, and that Atlanta itself, and John- 
ston's army, were in a tight place. Such infor- 
mation we were always glad to receive. It 
greatly encouraged us. There was a prayer 
meeting in the evening, as usual, but as it was 
the time for the newly organized company to 
commence the tunnel operation, we repaired 
to the spot, but circumstances being unfavora- 
ble, it amounted to nothing, and the prospect 
seemed to indicate that it would die out alto- 
gether. Probably past experience was not 
without its influence. 

Soon after roll-call, on the morning of the 
16th, a rebel Sergeant came in with an order 
from Capt. Wirz, for .the Sergeant of our 
"ninety" to come out and rectify a mistake 
which had been made in the roll of names. 

Sergt. L being on the other side of the 

prison with his brother, I went out in his 



180 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

place and did the required business. On my 
way back to the prison from the Captain's 
office, I quietly shouldered a pine log, which 
lay invitingly near the road-side, and carried 
it in. For a wonder, the rebel officers made 
no objection to it, and we really exulted in 
our valuable prize, for our "ninety" had had 
no wood given them by the "rebs" since the 
30th of June, or nearly a month, and uncooked 
rations had been distributed to us many times. 
About the only variety we had in those days 
was a little sorghum molasses with our corn 
meal. Salt, we concluded, was a scarce article 
in the confederacy, since we would pass four 
whole days in succession without seeing any. 
While our temporal wants were thus poorly 
supplied, we were not wholly denied spiritual 
food. It was a blessed 'consolation that no 
earthly foe could interrupt our communion 
with the heavenly world. He who visited 
Jacob with bright visions, as he lay upon his 
stony pillow, could also make a Bethel for us in 
our place of exile. We had preaching. Elder 
Shephard, a Sergeant in the 97th Ohio Keg't, 
and a prisoner with us, officiated. Just after 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 181 

one of our quiet sunsets, we gathered together 
and he gave us a splendid discourse upon the 
text, "Fight the good fight of faith." He 
drew a comparison between the Christian and 
the soldier, and carried it through in an admi- 
rable manner. At the close of the meeting 
four came forward for prayers — one backslider, 
one new convert, and two who were just begin- 
ning to feel the infinite importance of eternal 
things, and their relation to them. How 
strange it seemed to be enjoying such privi- 
leges in so terrible a place. 

The 18th was a sad day for us, for D , 

one of our beloved comrades, died. At about 
five, P. M. I went to see him, and found him 
in a dying state, unconscious, and breathing 
very hard. I spoke to him, but there came no 
response. He had spoken his last word upon 
earth. I left him a few moments to finish 
cooking my scanty meal, and on my return 
found him rapidly sinking. He lingered until 
about sunset, and then passed away. It was 
a touching sight to look upon; the sober, 
thoughtful faces of the few comrades who 
were at his side ; the blanket thrown back to 



182 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

admit as much fresh air as possible, and above 
all, the glazed eyes and vacant expression of 
our dead brother. Jackson, of Co. B, con- 
ducted a short service over the body, before it 
was carried out of the prison gate. A chap- 
ter from the bible — a prayer — and the funeral 
services of our friend were over. 

Such impressions, however, were soon 
effaced, by the new and exciting topics that 
w r ere continually coming up. It was so in 
this case. Rumors be^an to be in circulation of 
the nearness of some of our forces, and almost 
all were whispering, "Something's up." The 
rebels posted their men about the prison, as 
if in readiness of some expected attack. 
Simultaneous with this came up an exciting 
matter among the prisoners themselves. Some 
of them started 

A PETITION, 

urging the President, and Governors of States, 
to procure for us a speedy release, either by 
parole or exchange. When it came to my 
knowledge, I had a talk with Sergt. Lee about 
it, and we both came to the conclusion that it 
was a foolish affair, and one not calculated to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 183 

effect anything in getting ns out, while, at 
the same time, it would materially lower 
our standing as soldiers and men, both 
with the government and the people. Ask- 
ing the former to release us, seemed to 
imply that it could do it, but did not choose 
to, and I was not quite willing to believe that. 
It was true our number was becoming less 
every day, by death. Some were being con- 
stantly released in this way. A day or two 

after we had taken leave of D , we 

mourned the departure of another dear friend 

and comrade, C , of Co. A. He died in 

the early part of the day, and although he 
was unconscious, and left no dying testimony, 
yet we knew from his previous life that his 
peace was made with God, and that he had 
gone to be the willing inhabitant of another 
sphere. 

Such were the scenes transpiring within. 
Without, all was hurry and excitement, for 
some cause or other. The rebels were busy 
as bees in throwing up earth-works, in plain 
sight of us. Trains were coming up from 
below, loaded with troops, and a large number 



184 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

of new tents were pitched near the railroad 
station, and tilings generally indicated uncom- 
mon stir and bustle. The inference w r e very 
naturally drew from it was, that the Yankee 
raiders were nearer than had been reported, 
but we could not tell. They worked away 
busily upon their breastworks, making them 
as formidable as they could. As a train came 
in at eleven o'clock at night, and the whistle 
was heard, the "Kebs" greeted it with loud 
cheers, but there was a sudden cessation when 
they halted, which we attributed to the recep- 
tion of news that was not very welcome to 
them. 

Seventy-five prisoners came in during the 
21st, from Gen. Sherman's army. One of them 
was placed in our " ninety," to fill the vacancy 

caused by the death of C . He was a 

member of the 11th Kentucky Cavalry, and 
was in Atlanta the morning before his entrance 
to prison, at which time most of our army had 
crossed the river, and our skirmish line was 
but three miles from the city. The railroad 
upon which he found conveyance to Anderson- 
ville, was cut an hour afterwards by a party of 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 185 

our cavalry. It was said, also, that our forces 
were operating in the vicinity of Columbus, 
Ga., and destroying all the flouring-mills in 
their way. We were not particularly jubilant 
over this, for it seemed quite likely to affect 
our rations, and we could ill brook a reduction 
in this matter. We had hoped that some of 
them would come to our liberation, but if there 
was a way in which we could accomplish our 
own, we would wait for nothing. The "tunnel" 
had finally been carried through, and was so 
nearly ready we counted on passing through 
it at night; but just before sunset the "Rebs" 
made the discovery. 

Four of the boys were at work in it at the 
time, and of course were caught ; but instead 
of meeting with punishment, the Rebel Quar- 
termaster gave them each a double ration for 
the skillful manner in which they had con- 
structed the "tunnel." It seemed of little use 
for the men to think of getting out, but they 
were coming in by the hundred. Six hundred 
came on the morning after our attempted 
escape. They were a part of Wilson's raiders, 
and were captured on the 29th of June, but 



186 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had since been detained at Richmond on ac- 
count of the interruption of their railroad 
facilities. While things were thus proceeding, 
the rebels were using all their available time 
for the strengthening of their position. The 
result of their labor soon became apparent in 
the long line of fortification which appeared a 
little way from the stockade, and directly in 
front of it. Evidently, it was the intention of 
the enemy to use us as a shield for themselves 
in case of an attack, for an assault could not be 
made on them without exposing us to the fire 
of our own men. It would be a sorry day for 
them, we thought, if they should undertake to 
commit so dastardly a deed. Things at this 
time were hard for us. A small allowance of 
corn-bread was our principal article of diet. 
I began to look about me to see if there was 
any thing in my possession with which I could 
part, that I might have something a little dif- 
ferent. My strength was failing, owing in 
great measure to the miserable and insufficient 
fare, and a change of food seemed absolutely 
necessary. I thought of my gold pen, that had 
done me daily service, and resolved to sell 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 187 

that. Thus decided, I went forth to see if I 
could raise money for my need in this way, 
but the first day my efforts were all unavail- 
ing. It would not do to let courage die out, 
so I said, "Perhaps I will be more successful 
to-morrow;" and so it proved, for I finally 
succeeded in selling it to a Rebel Lieutenant 
for three bars of soap. I then sold the soap for 
five dollars and twenty cents in "greenbacks," 
retaining a good sized piece for my own use. 
The following morning I went over to the 
Eebel Sutler's, bright and early, and invested 
my little fortune in beans and salt, and for 
that day I had something good to eat, in com- 
parison with my usual food. I felt much bet- 
ter every way, and was convinced that it was 
nothing but gradual starvation that had made 
me feel so weak. Oftentimes, the quality of 
what little we did have was such as to destroy 
even the small appetite we had. I not only 
managed to obtain some variety of food by 
my trade, but it really varied the monotony 
of prison life a little by my speculations 
therein; but what would my parents say, I 
said to myself, if they should see their only 



188 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

son seated on the ground, selling beans by tlie 
pint, and loudly extolling their excellent qual- 
ities. It was a condition of things best appre- 
ciated by those who were receiving nothing 
but three spoonfuls of sorghum molasses and 
less than half a loaf of corn bread to live on 
for twenty-four hours. 

We heard from one of the clerks outside 
that Atlanta had really fallen into our hands, 
and that eighteen thousand of the prisoners 
were to be removed to other prisons in differ- 
ent parts of the South, and most earnestly did 
we hope that we might be of the number, 
since things were growing worse and worse 
with us. The petition scheme was not yet 
abandoned. One of the principal actors in 
the affair came around one morning, with the 
much-talked-of document, and requested our 
action in the matter. 

Sergt. Le vaughn ordered the "ninety" to 
fall in, the petition was read aloud so that all 
could hear, and then we were called upon to 
vote whether we would give it our indorsement 
or not. When the "ayes" were demanded, not a 
man responded to them; but the "nays" were 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 189 

given with a will Mr. Petitioner did not find 
it convenient to stay about our quarters long, 
and we missed him very soon. The majority 
of the prisoners, however, were in favor of the 
measure, although our vote was so decidedly 
against it. 

Our prison army received reinforcements to 
about five hundred on the morning of the 
27th. A greater part of them were "one 
hundred days" men, and had been taken by 
Early in his Pennsylvania raid. They came 
in with their knapsacks, but the cavalry who 
were with them, some of Wilson's party, were 
stripped and robbed as cavalry usually are. 
The rebels always seemed determined to 
wreak special vengeance on these men. I 
have seen them come in hatless, shoeless, with- 
out even their coats or blouses. They brought 
the story of exchange that was to take effect 
in August. It hardly seemed that these men 
could have any object in fabricating such 
news, but it had proved false so many times, 
we did not dare believe it then. The next 
day a thousand more made their entrance 
through the gate that was always open to 



190 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

receive, but never to depart A better looking 
set of men, and men better provided with 
things, had not come in since the Plymouth 
garrison entered in May. Nearly all of them 
had their knapsacks and blankets, besides a 
new suit of Uncle Sam's blue. Why the rebels 
allowed them to come in without robbing 
them at all, was more than we could account 
for. Just before they came in at the prison- 
gate, the "Rebs" in the fort around the Cap- 
tain's quarters fired a solid shot across the 
prison, directly over our heads. A large 
crowd of us had gathered near the gate, to 
watch the new-comers, and the "Johnnies," 
thinking we might possibly seize upon the 
opportunity to make a break and get out, had 
fired over us in this manner to intimidate us. 

What a howl of derision went up from " the 
doomed thirty thousand ! " 

Soon after this, a line of poles was planted 
through the prison, to which were nailed 



not as a sign of surrender, but as a warning 
to us, that no crowd should approach nearer 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 191 

the gate than those, under penalty of being 
fired upon with artillery, — that is, when pris- 
oners were being inarched in. ■ Their utility 
might have been quickly tested, for several 
hundred more came in the same day, and, like 
their immediate predecessors, they were pro- 
vided with blankets, and well prepared to 
u stand grief," if things external would conduce 
to it. 

The latter part of the month, the rebels 
were moving around in camp,, endeavoring to 
entice prisoners .outside to work at shoemaking 
for the so-called "Confederate" government. 
They had done this before, and we then 
thought they would be careful how they did 
it again , but they had much to do about this 
time, and no doubt they thought it would be 
very desirable to have help. If they were 
successful in obtaining it, I am ignorant of it. 
They still continued to work faithfully upon 
their fortifications, not discontinuing their 
labor, even for the Sabbath. This was strange 
to us, for they ]iad usually paid some regard 
to the observance of holy time, and we won- 
dered what so much preparation could mean. 



192 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

We could hardly think that they would take 
so much pains, and put themselves to so much 
trouble, as to do it simply to prevent an out- 
break on our part. We therefore conjectured 
it might be as a place for Hood to fall back 
upon in case of an emergency in his history. 
They felled an immense number of pine trees, 
so that the landscape about us began to pre- 
sent quite a barren appearance, and this 
seemed to indicate the fact that they wished 
uninterrupted range for their artillery, for 
some cause or other, but of course we could 
know nothing, until the actual accomplish- 
ment of a thing had made it existing fact. 
Our information was mostly received through 
the newly arrived prisoners, but we would 
sometimes gain a little from some one of the 
rebel guard with whom we were thrown in 
contact. In a conversation I had with one, at 
one time, he remarked to me : 

"I had a boy who was a prisoner with your 
people at the North." "Indeed," said I, "how 
was he treated?" "Very kindly, sir, very 
kindly," he replied. "Did you receive letters 
from him while he was in prison ?" I continued. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 193 

"Yes, sir, he wrote to us and we wrote to 
him." "He probably fared much better than 
we do in this prison," said I, "did he not?" 
With great frankness he answered, "Oh! yes, 
sir, — I reckon you fare pretty hard in there, 
but we aint to blame for it. The 'Old Cap- 
tain' is as hard on us as he is with you. A 
heap of us were taken right off our farms, 
and we left the crops standing, with nobody 
to tend 'em but the women folks" This is 
the way, then, I thought, that these men are 
conscripted. No wonder that " Jeff" manages 
to keep his army full. Our guards, generally, 
were an ignorant and superstitious class of 
men, and spoke the Southern dialect in all its 
native purity. They would sometimes ask us, 
"What makes you 'uns come down here to 
fight we 'uns?" and then would follow the 
confident assertion, "If you 'uns had staid at 
home there would have been no war." They 
had no proper understanding of the true 
merits of the case at all. They seemed to 
think that we had come South merely to dis- 
possess them of their property. Many of 
these were poor whites, and although they do 



194 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

not own slaves themselves, they stand up as 
firmly for it as the more wealthy and intelli- 
gent. One of the latter, a Kentuckian, and a 
Surgeon in the Confederate army, said to me 
one day, "I believe that slavery is a divine 
institution. The negroes are placed in our 
hands, and we will be held accountable at the 
last day, for the manner in which we have 
treated them." I wondered if all took that 
view of it, especially the owner of that slave 
I had seen so unmercifully beaten a morning 
before. The Surgeon, himself, said that he 
"brushed his up a little when they needed it." 
Indeed, the whole system, say what they 
might, is one of cruelty and barbarism, and 
who does not know it ? 

One little affair happened about this time, 
which we considered the "cheekiest" thing 
that had been done by the "Johnnies." It was 
an attempt to secure the services of our men 
as artillerists, probably to drill their ignorant 
conscripts at the guns. A number of their 
Sergeants were sent, and circulated among 
our men, ostensibly for this purpose, but we 
thought it an instance of cool audacity on 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 195 

their part. Soon after this was another speci- 
men of rebel doings. A man, professing to 
be a Confederate Chaplain, came into prison, at 
the request, as he said, of Gen. Winder, and 
read an extract from the New York Herald, 
to a large crowd, regarding the matter of 
exchange. The article stated that the com- 
missioners had met several times, and that 
through the tact of Col. Mulford, all existing 
obstacles had been removed, and that an 
immediate exchange was more than probable. 
After reading this he held a religious service. 
Whether he really believed what he had read, 
or whether the whole thing was perpetrated 
to raise our hopes, and keep us quiet, was 
more than we could tell. " It would not be 
strange, if there were none other object than 
this," was the thought that filled many minds, 
so faithless had we become in everything 
they said. 

On the 2d of August, it was reported, and 
denied, also, that about two hundred of the 
sick in the hospital had been paroled, and 
were to be sent to our lines. Our men were 
dying. Three or four of our own regiment 



196 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had passed away within a few days. Our 
distress and exposure was great. I managed 
to buy a pair of shoes of one of the newly 
arrived prisoners, for my own comfort, but it 
was the first time I had worn any for two 
months. We were often visited by severe 
thunder storms, and it was not a thing 
unknown for the lightning to strike a tall 
pine tree in close proximity to us : beside, we 
had nothing to shield us from the rain, for our 
blanket tents had come to be of little worth 
now, except to shelter us from the burning 
heat of the sun. They had become sadly worn, 
and were almost no protection from the storm. 
One could but notice, at this time, the change 
which had taken place in us all. When we 
first entered the prison, we thought the time 
w T ould not be long that we should have to 
stay, and we tried to pass the time away as 
pleasantly as possible. Fine, clear evenings, 
we would gather together and sing, but now 
everybody looked care-worn, and the boys 
moved about quietly and sadly. It was sur- 
prising, also, to see how many of the men 
were victims of insanity; those who had 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 197 

become so in that place, we could scarcely call 
anything less than a hell upon earth 

One young man, of excellent education, 
and evidently of good birth, while in this sad 
condition, would go down to the little brook 
nearly every day, at noon, when the heat of 
the sun was most intense, and taking off his 
clothes, or more appropriately rags, would 
wade backward and forward, but rarely, if 
ever, washing himself. Seeing him one day, . 
while performing his accustomed round, I said 
to him, " Why don't you wash and come out, 
and not stay there in the sun ?" His hopeless 
reply was, "I am waiting for the water to 
become clear." Poor fellow ! It never be- 
came clear to him. Another man would con- 
stantly imagine that he was some sort of an 
animal, and he would strip himself of all 
clothing, and persist in wallowing through the 
swamp on his hands and knees. Still another 
occupied his time in making curious sketches, 
in which rebels and devils would figure in 
intimate companionship, but not so very crazy 
there, we thought. He must have been a 
man of study at home, for he was well versed 



198 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

in history, and could converse fluently upon 
almost any scientific subject, — almost too 
readily sometimes, for he never knew when 
to stop, when once started. 

Melancholy as these things were, they were 
mild compared with what I saw afterward, — 
that of a living man being devoured by mag- 
gots. Parts of his body were eaten until they 
had become raw and bloody, and they could 
even be seen issuing from his eyes and mouth. 
He belonged to Co. A, of the 52d N. Y. Eeg't, 
and he came to this terrible state through 
sickness, exposure and neglect. I then 
thought if I should live to get North, I would 
never speak of these horrors, for they would 
seem too much to believe, but they were the 
solemn realities of our prison life, as will be 
abundantly confirmed by hundreds of others. 
I had a feeling quite in sympathy with that 
of the immortal poet, when he wrote, 

" But that I am forbid 

To tell the secrets of my prison-house, 

I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word 

Would harrow up thy soul ; freeze thy young blood; 

Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their spheres ; 

Thy knotted and combined locks to part, 

And each particular hair to stand on end, 

Like quills upon the fretful porcupine." 



LIEE IN REBEL PRISONS. 199 

A number of cavalry-men were captured in 
the attack upon Macon, and found their way 
to our dwelling place, or rather had it found 
for them, on the 2d of the month, it now 
being August. The city was receiving a brisk 
shelling when they left, and they reported 
Maj. Gen. Stoneman taken, with a number of 
his men. Thus did we obtain an occasional 
glimpse of the battling world in which we 
were deeply interested, and in this way expe- 
rienced a slight disturbance in the even tenor 
of our thoughts, that otherwise might have 
found themselves tending to stagnation. 

Coming in contact with one of the boys 
who had an old Bible, I found upon the back 
part of it, in almost obliterated characters, the 
following lines, which I thought worthy of 
preservation, although ignorant of the author- 
ship. It was certainly richly suggestive of 
that holy tenderness of love, that sometimes 
dwells in the heart like a fragrant flower, 
which blesses with its sweetness those who 
come nearest to it : 

" Forget thee ? If to dream by 

Night, and muse on thee by day ; 
If all the worship deep and wild, 

A sister's heart can pay ; 



200 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

If prayers ascend for thee 

To Heaven's protecting power ; 

If winged thoughts that fleet, 

To thee, a thousand in an hour; 
If busy fancy blending thee 

With all my future lot : 
If this thou ca\\est forgetting, 

Then indeed art thou forgot." 

Equally original, no doubt, but not quite in 
the same style, is the following, written by a 
'•'secesh" young lady to her lover. The letter 
which contained the brilliant effusion was 
found by one of our men. 

"'Tis hard for you 'uns to live in camps, 
'Tis hard for you 'uns to fight the Yanks, 
'Tis hard for you 'uns and we'uns to part, 
Now you 'uns has we 'uns hearts." 

For some reason unknown to us, an altera- 
tion was made in the line of white flags, soon 
after they were stationed in our midst ; some 
were moved nearer to the stockade, while 
others were left remaining on the old line. 

It is very noticeable how little 

THE REBEL FLAG 

is displayed at the South. One might almost 
travel from one end of the Confederacy to the 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 201 

other, without seeing one, while at the North 
the a Stars and Stripes " are floating from nearly 
every prominent public building, and often- 
times from private dwellings. "Perhaps," we 
thought, " they are ashamed of their ill-omened 
emblem," or, what would be quite as likely, 
bunting might be scarce. But there is a rea- 
son that lies deeper than these things, which 
accounts for the difference. The people of 
the North have long been accustomed to asso- 
ciate their dearest interests, as a people, with 
the flag of their country. To them it is the 
symbol of everything that is just and true, 
and in its starry folds lies hid that peculiarly 
stimulating power which kindles the flame of 
loyalty, and makes them of strong heart and 
unconquerable will in the day of struggle, 
when its triumph is called in question. They 
are jealous of its honor, and rather than see 
it insulted and torn from its rightful position, 
they will do and dare until death in its defense. 
It has come to be almost an household idol in 
every Northern home, and children are imbib- 
ing a strange love for it, that will tell upon 
their devotion to country in their future his- 
9 



202 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

tory. To the soldier and the patriot it has a 
wonderful significance. To what holy heroism 
it moves him ! — to what deeds of valor it in- 
cites him ! What sublime instances of faith- 
fulness have we seen in many of the color- 
bearers of our regiments ! We have seen 
them steadily marching on in the face of dan- 
ger, choosing to give their life-blood rather 
than prove recreant to the trust committed 
unto them, and all because they loved the 
cause which the flag symbolized. 

Not thus with the South. They have none 
of this all-pervading appreciation. Their 
newly-constructed emblem does hot appeal to 
the heart with much of power, for it has too 
weak a hold upon existence itself, to be as a 
pledge or basis of anything to come, — and be- 
sides, it means too little ; it is too narrow, and 
declares the selfishness and arrogance in which 
it had its origin. To live, it must be planted 
in the hearts of men, spring up, mature, and 
bear fruit and yield its rich harvest of bless- 
ing, or, if this seems far-fetched, it must be 
thoroughly tested, and made to show its adapt- 
ation and fitness for the wants of men, before 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 203 

it can be readily received by them, calling 

forth their love and veneration. 

A squad of prisoners, about one hundred in 
*• 
number, came into prison on the 4th, and by 

their being stripped of everything in their 
possession, we concluded they had belonged 
to a raiding party. The old adage that "Mis- 
ery loves company," was out of place with us. 
We could not but deeply commiserate the 
condition of every new one that came among 
us. It was nothing but an introduction to a 
life of wretchedness that could have no coun- 
terpart, it seemed, upon the face of the earth. 
One principal topic of conversation, forced 
upon us by our necessity, was, "something 
good to eat." I remembered having read that 
Lieut. Strains' party, in their perilous expedi- 
tion across the Isthmus of Panama, when al- 
most dying with starvation, were accustomed 
to assemble themselves around a fire, and lux- 
uriate in imaginary feasts. Little did I then 
think that I should ever do a similar thing, — 
for the idea of a stay in any place, that would 
incline me to it, was something that never en- 
tered into my calculations at all ; but we were 



204 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

brought to it, and there was no relief, and we 
therefore resorted to a like expedient. If any 
one knew of a rare dish, something particu- 
larly nice, he would edify the rest by entering 
into a minute description of its ingredients, 
manner of cooking, &c., and anything extra 
would be noted down by those who had dia- 
ries. In consequence of these, I had in the 
back part of my diary a tempting array of 
receipts for making pot-pies, puddings, &c, 
while in reality I was almost starved, lacking 
even necessaries, — much more luxuries. 

C , of Co. D of our regiment, died 

about this time. He was a professor of reli- 
gion, and, I think, a member of our Regi- 
mental church. 

This church was organized by Chaplain 
Dixon, of the 16th Conn. Reg., and was called 
a "Christian Association" being composed of 
those who had been church-members at home, 
and those also were received into its fellowship 
who experienced a change of heart while in 
the army. There were a large number of 
these. 

It was not sectarian at all, but included 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 205 

every denomination, even all that loved the 
Lord, without regard to name. 

While we were at Portsmouth, Va., we had 
a chapel, built mainly by the subscriptions of 
the men, though there were officers who were 
interested and materially aided, by their con- 
tributions, the worthy cause. It would have 
been thought a rude structure at home, but it 
answered the purpose of its construction very 
well, and we had very many happy seasons 
there. A number of ladies were visiting their 
husbands in the regiment at the time of its 
erection, and taking an interest in the object, 
they gathered together and did what was in 
their power to add to its comfort and neat- 
ness. They covered the preacher's desk with 
blue muslin, and when all was done the edifice 
was dedicated. It was on the Sabbath, and 
five Chaplains were present, a number of 
ladies, and a great crowd of soldiers. Eev. 
Mr. Smith, of the 8th Conn. Reg. ? preached 
the sermon. 

Besides the religious services to which it 
was primarily devoted, one evening of every 
week was spent in it in debating topics of the 



206 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

day which excited general interest; for a 
< ; Temperance and Debating Society" had been 
formed in the regiment previously to this. 
All members thereof signed a pledge of absti- 
nence from intoxicating liquors, which was 
binding upon them while they were in the 
army. 

On the night of the 6 th, another of our 
boys passed away from earth, — a slender little 
fellow, only fifteen years of age, who never 
ought to have been admitted into the service. 
He -was a brave boy, and felt quite proud that 
he was enduring his imprisonment as well as 
he seemed to for a time, but sickness seized 
upon him, and he died. 

The next day we said among ourselves, 
"Death, nothing but death here!" — for we 
were called upon to mourn the departure of 
another dear comrade, Corporal Flower, of 
Hartford, Conn. He closed his eyes upon 
earthly scenes just at twilight, and his name, 
stricken from the roll-call of prison, was added 
to the long list of sleeping heroes treasured in 
the country's annals, and to that other list 
above, from which no name of earth will be 



LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 207 

found wanting. Alas ! who could send the sad 
tidings to the family circle he had left ; who 
tell his bosom companion and fatherless ones 
of their loss ? Such duty is mournful for any 
one to perform. Not only they, in this case, 
but all who had known him, would long hold 
him in cherished remembrance for his amiable 
qualities and manly virtues. 

We held a short funeral service over his 
body before it was carried out. — the last and 
best tribute of respect we could give, and this 
we cheerfully accorded to all of our regiment 
who died in prison. Hardly were the services 
ended, before we learned that another, Cor- 
poral B , had died also. We performed 

similar service again, with his mortal remains 
before us ; and he was carried out to the dead 
house, and the men who bore his body thither 
were told that two more were dead in the hos- 
pital. What a day's record was that! It 
seemed heart-rending to see our comrades suf- 
fering and dying on every side of us, while 
we were utterly powerless to do anything 
towards alleviating their pain. We felt that 
this was worse than starvation. 



208 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Another prisoner also ended his days in a 
different manner, being shot, or murdered, by 
the rebel guard. The fatal bullet missed the 
person it was intended for, and pierced his 
head, while three feet away from the dead 
line. This, it will be remembered, was not 
the only instance in which the innocent suf- 
fered for the guilty, in the eagerness of the 
guard to secure a victim to their glory. 

The Rebel Quartermaster told us on the 
7th, that he had seen a dispatch from the 
Confederate Government to General Winder, 
ordering him to commence paroling the pris- 
oners at once, or, at least, make preparations 
for it. Still we said, "A rebel lie, and nothing 
more," for past and sad experience had taught 
us that the word of a rebel officer meant little 
if anything. 

Thirteen men, however, were taken from the 
first detachment out of prison, and instructed 
to take their things with them and bid their 
friends "Good-bye," as they would see them 
no more. It certainly looked a little like ex- 
change, but why not take a larger number if 
that was the case? Another thing looked 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 209 

as if they intended to keep ns a while lon- 
ger, — some of ns ? at least. 

They had before had the building of some 
barracks in contemplation, and the frame of 
one was now brought in, ready to be put up 
very soon ; so we were sure they did not in- 
tend the prison to be wanting in inmates a 
while longer. 

The 9th day of that sultry August month 
was a day long to be remembered in Camp 
Sumter, for it almost seemed that the elements 
of heaven were commissioned for our rescue, 
and that in spite of armed soldiers we should 
go free. About noon, a 

TERRIFIC RAIN STORM 

commenced and continued nearly the whole 
afternoon. It must have extended over a 
large tract of country, for very soon the little 
brook that ran through the prison increased 
in size, until it became a rushing torrent, cov- 
ering the whole of the swamp, and tearing 
through the camp with irresistible force. 
The stockade was soon undermined, and fell 
over in six different places, but, of course, the 
alarm was given in what the rebels would call 



210 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

"right smart quick/' for two of the guns in the 
fort about the head-quarters of Capt. Wizz, 
were at once discharged as a signal for them 
to rally, and instantly their whole force out- 
side fell in under arms, and took position in 
front of these gaps, to keep the "Yankees" 
in. It was some little consolation to many to 
see them stand there in the pouring rain, and 
we cared little if they had to continue their 
watchings through the night under the same 
dispensation. The large timbers which had 
composed the stockade, came floating down 
the stream, and as wood was an almost price- 
less treasure to the men, many of them 
plunged into the angry waters, at the risk of 
their lives, to secure, if possible, the much 
coveted article. Many were successful, but even 
then, after all their risk and their labor, they 
were not allowed to cut it up, under penalty 
of the whole camp losing their rations for five 
days. We could ill afford to dispense with 
our ordinary fare, if we thought of remaining 
in the terrestrial sphere, although that day it 
was nothing more than a few boiled beans, 
cooked without salt, and full of dirt. 




firJ 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS 213 

The rebels worked faithfully and steadily 
until morning, to close the openings which the 
heavens made for us, and at that time things 
were mostly replaced, so as to appear in their 
old condition, and let in three hundred more 
prisoners from Gen. Sherman's army. 

Left to themselves, the inanimate forces of 
nature would have opened a highway for our 
exodus, but even they were checked in the 
attempt. The time had not come. 

"How poor are they who have not patience." 

In everything pertaining to our earthly lot, 
we were as poor as mortals could well be, and if 
there was any wealth in the cultivation of the 
graces, we might as well observe them, for 
there was no growing better in any other 
direction. If there w r as any advantage in 
being tested, one might surely realize all the 
benefit accruing from that, for we had been 
subject to the crucible a long time, and the 
true metal could but be manifest, if there was 
any to be seen. It is true, we were weary of 
pacing our little round, and longed for freedom 
— such freedom as we had once known, and in 
thinking of it, the language of Young seemed 



214 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

not extravagant to apply to it in connection 
with our relations thereto. 

" Art thou not dearer to my eyes than light ? 
Dost thou not circulate through all my veins, 
Mingle with Life, and form my very Soul?" 



CHAPTER VI. 



HOPES AND FEARS. 



The boys who went up at sick-call on the 
morning of the 10th, to receive their prescrip- 
tions from the Surgeons, saw a member of 
our regiment, who had been detailed to work 
in the cook-house, and had a long conversa- 
tion with him, with reference to our affairs. 
Through him we learned that our Lieutenant 
Colonel was exchanged, with the rest of the 
officers who were sent from Macon to Charles- 
ton, S. C, and also that Gen. Winder had been 
heard to say that paroling would commence 
among us on the 15th of the month. If our 
officers had really been ticketed for the North, 
it really seemed there was hope for us also. 
It was true "dog day" weather. We were 



LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 215 

having heavy showers of rain frequently, and 
the crowds of men, unsheltered, w r ere rapidly 
becoming diseased, and fast dying. Small 
numbers still continued to come in, many 
of them from cavalry parties, who had been 
thoroughly robbed. The following day was 
the anniversary of my soldier life, and in 
view of it I made this record in my diary : 
"Two years ago to-day I entered the ser- 
vice of my country, and I can honestly say 
now, / am not sorry that I enlisted, although 
I am 'in durance vile.' " 

CONFIDENCE 

in the justness and importance of our cause 
had not faltered in all the days of our 
exile. We could not go heart and hand in 
sustaining the government, as w r e had done, 
but we could go heart and soul, and that we 
generally did. It is true, that w r ith our feel- 
ings of hope and confidence were mingled 
those of pain and sadness, because of the fear- 
ful reduction of our numbers by death. Upon 
an average, up to this time, one had died 
every day of the month, and others were very 
sick, and evidently sinking. At this rate, if 



216 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

we should remain prisoners, it would not be 
long before nearly all our regiment would be 
sleeping the sleep that knows np waking; 
they would have passed "beyond that bourne 
from whence no ^javeler returns." " Coming 
events" did no V cast their shadows before," 
in all their length and breadth, when we 
passed through the streets of Hartford, with 
jubilant tread, twice twelve months before, 
else we had been conscious of deeper emo- 
tions, amid the cheers and congratulations of 
parting. Doubtless there was more or less of 
vague feeling, that some would be left behind, 
since the chances of battle were such, but 
each had a certain buoyancy of hope that, 
after all, he might escape to return to home 
and friends. 

About one hundred came into prison on 
this day of which we are speaking, and 
some of the Plymouth men, who had been 
wounded and left in hospitals, were among 

them. Our Orderly Sergeant, N , was one 

of them. They had been at Salisbury, N. C, 
and bore evidence of good treatment, for they 
came in with clean faces and clean clothes, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 217 

while we scarcely made even 'a respectable 
appearance. We were without any conven- 
iences whatever, to keep ourselves clean, 
and beside we sadly lacked soap. But two 
issues had been made of this article since we 
had been in prison, and then we only received 
about a table spoonful of soft stuff, of the 
poorest kind, for each man. In our own army 
we had always a plentiful supply, and that 
which was of very good quality. 

We obtained access to some Macon newspa- 
pers about this time, which stated that Mobile, 
or its forts were in our possession, and that it 
surrendered without firing a gun. Were this 
the truth, we could not have a very exalted 
opinion of the fighting capacity of the garri- 
son, we thought, but editorial expression was 
not always correct, we had found, and were 
destined to find again. These same papers 
stated that the work of paroling prisoners was to 
commence on the 15th, and as it was a simple 
corroboration of the story we had been told 
before, we dared to build hopes upon it. 
However valuable concurrent testimony may 
be in most cases, we had never found it par- 



218 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

ticularly reliable in our intercourse with the 
southern people. What an exhibition of 
their pride and passion we had seen ! What 
ideas of their intelligence and humanity we 
had been compelled to form ! What manifes- 
tations of their power and ability to govern, 
had been thrust upon us ! The treatment we 
had received, in every respect, was not such 
as was calculated to enhance in any wise, a 
man's admiration for the Southern Confede- 
racy, but only to make him pray to be deliv- 
ered from it. "It will not last always," was 
the consolation we took to ourselves in such 
hours as ration-drawing, when there was noth- 
ing to come to us, for at times we received 
nothing at all, and were left to experience the 
gnaioings of hunger without mitigation. As 
if starvation was not enough, we had to 
endure the insults of their officers, — boast- 
ingly denominated high-toned and chivalrous. 
One of them, a so-called 

OFFICER OF THE DAY 

for the time, ascended the sentries' stand, near 
the main entrance to the prison, and began 
to taunt us with the idea that we were placing 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 219 

ourselves on a level with the "nigger," by 
making a soldier of him. After he had gone 
on in this manner for some time, one of the 
prisoners interrupted him with the query, 
" Captain, which is the worse ? We use the 
negro as a soldier. You employ blood-hounds 
to do a soldier's duty," referring, of course, to 
the mode of pursuing the prisoners who made 
attempts to escape. Evidently he was not 
lost to all sense of shame, and he replied, as 
he hung his head, "This is the only place 
where they are ever used." A man who had 
been confined at Danville, Va., spoke up at 
this juncture, informing the officer that they 
were used there, while another who had been 
at Cahawba, Ala., asserted that he knew them 
to be kept there also, for the same nefarious 
purpose. It was quite plain that the Captain 
didn't relish the turn in the argument, for he 
said no more, and quickly took himself from 
our midst, — a wiser and a better man, we 
hoped, from having thus been enlightened by 
us. 

One hundred more prisoners now came in 
from Sherman's army. One of our number, 



220 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

who was at work outside, framing barracks, 
gathered up the information that this General 
had blown up part of Atlanta, and flanked 
Hood's army again ; so that we imagined that 
things were working, notwithstanding affairs 
seemed so quiet to us. We judged, in some 
measure, of the activity of our armies by the 
number of prisoners who were captured by 
the enemy. More or less of these determined 
the quantity and quality of movement, inas- 
much as signs 'Sire often the full expression of 
language that is not written. Wood was 
issued to us about this period, the first time 
since the 30th of June, and then we were 
only given two sticks for the whole "ninety." 
We made up our minds that one thing was 
certain, — "generosity" was not a distinguish- 
ing feature of the Southern character ; and it 
revived the wish in all its intensity, that the 
time might not be far distant when we would 
be out of the clutches of these miscreants. 
With what fervor did we exclaim, "Oh that 
we could once more abide in the land of the 
' mudsills,' c greasy mechanics,' and < Black Ee- 
publicans'!" We would willingly have bade 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 221 

adieu to the warm-hearted hospitality of the 
South, of which so much had been cited, and 
turned our feet towards a less pretentious 
region. 

The 14th was the Sabbath, — the time for 
Sabbath School Concert at home, and we 
knew we should not be forgotten in that gath- 
ering. Having faith in the efficacy of prayer, 
we hoped their petitions for us might be speed- 
ily answered in our deliverance from this liv- 
ing death. That day we took the last look of 

another of our boys, — Jimmy B , of Co. 

A. He had joined our regiment but a short 
time previous to its capture, and was young 
and inexperienced. A few days before, he 
had told me in conversation that he thought 
he should live to get home, and asked about 
some rules of diet which it might be best to 
observe, should he find himself in the midst 
of plenty again. He was possessed with a pas- 
sionate longing for a turkey, — "a large one," 
he said; and he seemed to anticipate much in 
looking forward to the comforts and luxuries 
which home might furnish for him. Appa- 
rently it was a bright vision for him, to think 



222 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

of his mother preparing these nice things; 
but they were all ended, and loving hands 
could no more minister unto him. 

The sun rose on the following morning, 
bringing the long-looked-for day which was to 
present to our eager gaze the grateful specta- 
cle of several thousand prisoners leaving for 
our lines on parole, — at least, it was the prom- 
ised day. Slowly the hours passed away to 
the anxious multitude ; and what was worse, 
they came and went, without bringing any 
change. We had known enough in the past, 
to teach us not to be too sanguine, but hope 
will hang on a slender thread sometimes, and 
for this reason we had allowed the saying of 
the papers to have some weight with us. One 
of the rebel surgeons, or one in name, scarcely 
so in reality, told me that the press was con- 
trolled by their government, and they could 
not themselves believe half they read. Is this 
the boasted independence for which they are 
fighting ? was my mental query. About 
twenty prisoners came in through the day. 
The number had been gradually diminishing 
for some little time, so that at this period 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 223 

comparatively few made their entrance to- 
gether. 

Whether the sight of our misery was air 
tractive to the rebels, or something else influ- 
enced them, we could not say, but some pho- 
tographic artists came from Macon, and taking 
their position in sentry-boxes at different points 
around the stockade, they proceeded to engrave 
our wretchedness by art. It might have been 
by order of the authorities, or simply a private 
enterprise, but we thought we would have 
liked one of the pictures to show to our friends, 
and to look at, if we should ever be away from 
the miserable scenes themselves. They cer- 
tainly would be daguerreotyped upon faithful 
memory as long as we should live, but no. 
words or touch of pen could give any sem- 
blance of the reality to others. 

SCURVY 

began to be fearfully prevalent. We had had 
no vegetables given to us since we entered in 
April, and we were without money to buy 

any. Sergeant L , who had been in 

command of the "ninety" ever since we had 



224 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

been in prison, became so disabled by the dis- 
ease in his ankles and feet, as to render him un- 
fit to perform the duty of drawing rations ; and 
being yet free from it myself, I took his place. 
This is the form which the disease often takes, 
so contracting the cords of the limbs as to 
deprive the sufferer of the power to walk. 
Again it will be seen in the swelling of the 
different parts of the body, and still again in 
the decaying of the gums and loosening of 
the teeth. Hundreds of poor fellows lost their 
lives by this disease alone. Nearly the whole 
of our regiment were more or less affected by 
it. Perhaps the stories of exchange, which 
were in almost daily circulation, did something 
to sustain some of the men, who were expect- 
ing and fearing the unchecked workings of 
that terrible scourge. 

A little different version of things was 
sfarted by some who professed to know some- 
thing about it, to the effect that an article 
deemed of considerable authority was to be 
cut from the paper, and posted upon the let- 
ter-box, where we might see it. Curiosity, of 
course, was on the, alert, to discover the pecul- 



LIFE LN REBEL PRISONS. 225 

iarities of the case ; but it turned out to be 
the identical piece which the Confederate 
Chaplain had read to us with so much dignity 
the first of the month, and we concluded it 
would hardly pay to become much excited 
over it. 

In the midst of these things, one of the boys 
who had been at work without the stockade, 
brought in the gratifying intelligence that 
there was a large quantity of letters from the 
North at the office of Captain Wirz, and that 
probably they would be brought in soon. 
How our hearts bounded with joy at the pos- 
sibility of hearing from home once more ! A 
perfect fever of expectation seized us all, for 
who would be the favored ones, and what 
would be the character of that which we 
should hear? How, too, should those bear 
the disappointment that would be passed by 
with no word or message from those their 
hearts were with ? News of some sort I did 
find, however, as I went over into the prison- 
extension to visit a friend of the 7th P. Vs. 
He had a copy of the "Macon Telegram," and 
I learned from it that Maj\ Gen. Hunter had 



226 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

been relieved by Gen. Sheridan, and that 
Gen. Grant's campaign had proved a failure, 
although something whispered to me, in 
regard to the latter, "they had better wait until 
they see the end of it, before making such a 
confident declaration." It had, also, an article 
commenting upon the " disgraceful and humil- 
iating surrender" of the forts at Mobile. 
Doubtless, the Confederate heart was some- 
what tried by the course things took in the 
matter. 

For once, our rations increased a little, and 
were of better quality than usual. Informa- 
tion also came to us, through the rebel Quar- 
ter-master, that he was about to commence 
issuing sweet potatoes, and that he would soon 
make us as sick of those as we were then of 
beans, and this, we thought, would be no hard 
matter, if they were cooked in the same filthy 
way. The rebels claimed that iron wire was 
so very scarce, that they could not procure 
enough to make the necessary sieves with 
which to clean their beans, before cooking, 
and therefore we must eat them as they were, 
dirt, pods, sticks and all. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 227 

In addition to the other sensation stories 
which were in circulation, was another, that 
the rebels had asked again for an armistice in 
which to treat for peace, this time to consist 
of thirty days, and that our government had 
granted it. We could not believe that the 
Northern people were so very inconsiderate 
as to allow them such a resting spell at the 
time when they seemed in a fair way to be 
conquered. The way for them to obtain 
peace, it seemed to us then, was the one and 
only way we had always maintained, — and 
that was to lay down the weapons of their 
rebellion, and submit to our lawfully elected 
administration. We must conquer our peace 
if we would have it real and lasting. We 
had known four months of imprisonment for 
the cause, and we would not have it lost. 

Death was rioting among the strangest 
men in our regiment, making no distinction 
between the stronger and the weaker. We 
wondered if another month would find us 
there still, but we felt like saying, 

" Conquer we must, 
For our cause it is just y 
And this be our motto, 
ia In God is our trust." 



228 LIFE IN EEBEL PRISONS. 

Capt. Wirz, our inhuman prison command- 
ant, was taken sick about this time, and went 
to Macon. Various were the wishes of the 
men as they heard it, but the mildest form 
they took was, that he might never recover. 
He was succeeded, temporarily, by Lieut. S. B. 
Davis, and from all that Ave could learn of 
him, we thought the change might be much 
to our advantage, as he would probably be 
more humane in his treatment of us. He 
had the reputation of being a good officer 
among the- men who knew him, and the 
rations which followed his inauguration were 
certainly larger and better, and indicated a 
heart little larger than that which dwelt in 
the bosom of his predecessor. The day before, 
we only had a little corn-bread, without meat 
or salt, and now came fresh beef, bacon, beans, 
bread and molasses. These things, which may 
seem of little consequence to some, were, 
nevertheless, of vital importance to us, who 
were suffering from the privations we had 
endured. The slightest addition to our com- 
fort, in any way, was highly prized. To secure 
a little more, externally, it became necessary to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 229 

remodel our little tent, which was sadly out of 
repair. The blankets were worn a great deal, 
on the side exposed to the rain and sun, so 
we turned them and put the other side out, 
and when it was completed, we found our- 
selves in possession of quite a stylish resi- 
dence, compared with those who had no cover- 
ing at all. 

The prison was visited at this time by a 
foppishly decorated 

CONFEDERATE CAPTAIN. 

As he stepped around very daintily, in his 
patent leather boots, he professed' to feel 
"quite shocked" at the horrible condition of 
affairs which he saw. It was very evident 
that he counted himself something on an 
argument, for he began to discuss slavery and 
the war, with an air of wonderful dignity, 
little imagining, probably, that he would find 
any one in the ragged, dirty, uncouth crowd 
of listeners before him, who would venture to 
dispute his opinions. He was greatly mis- 
taken, however, for some of his hearers 
advanced better arguments entirely, soon 
worsting him, and driving him from the field, 



230 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

perhaps with the thought that, though the 
external condition of persons may not be pre- 
possessing, yet 

"A man's a man for a' that." 

Our knowledge of things, now, was. mainly 
gathered from such as called upon us, and 
from the southern papers which we occasion- 
ally saw, for prisoners had ceased to come in 
as frequently as in the past. From the latter 
we learned that Jonesboro, on the Macon and 
Augusta railroad, was held by a large force of 
Federals, with the intention of causing the 
rebel army to fall back from the position it 
was then occupying. It was also stated that 
a large body of cavalry and mounted infantry 
were inarching on Milledgeville, with ultimate 
designs upon our place. "Well, let them 
come," we said, but yet feared we should 
never see them. There was a little appear- 
ance of something being done in our midst. 
Quite a large number of Sergeants, holding 
officers' commissions, but who had never been 
mustered in as such, were taken outside, and 
we were told by the rebels they were des- 
tined to our lines for exchange. Two of the 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 231 

Plymouth men were among the number. 
This seemed a favorable indication for the 
rest of us, for surely, we thought, the govern- 
ment would not exchange the officers, who 
fare better than we do, and leave us to die by 
inches. 

Much to my disgust, I found on the morn- 
ing of the 23 d, that the scurvy had at Jast 
got hold of me. I had been hoping that it 
would pass me by, in its visitations, but it was 
unmistakably present in my mouth. I went 
up to the sick-call, and was prescribed for 
by the Surgeon, the first time since I had 
entered, and in consequence, at night I was to 
receive about a table spoonful of sumach ber- 
ries, the usual remedy for the disease, the tea 
made of it being very sour and astringent. 

Meantime, a few sailors came in, who had 
been captured at Mobile. " How is Mobile V 
we asked. " That's all right ; we'll have it in 
a week," was the reply. This, of course, gave 
a momentary impulse to languid courage, but 
with such a dreadful disease staring us in the 
face, we could do nothing less than dwell upon 
the probabilities of deliverance in our own 



232 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

case. We could hope for little improvement 
where we were, but as diversion of mind 
often tends to physical advantage, we availed 
ourselves of everything that was offered, to 
secure this. One of my comrades, by some 
means, became the possessor of "Woodbury's 
Shorter Course in German," and I began to 
study that language, or rather, re-commenced 
it, as I had been engaged in its acquisition at 
the time of our capture. This book was a 
perfect treasure, and with it I passed many 
an otherwise dull hour, agreeably and profita- 
bly. 

Lieut. Davis, our new commandant, did 
institute a better order of things. Our food 
was better every way, and beside, he issued 
an order, requiring the prison to be kept 
clean. The order was posted in different 
parts of the prison, so that all could see it, 
and avail themselves of its privileges. He 
furnished us with the requisite tools to per- 
form the work assigned to us, and it was 
something so unusual to see our enemies 
taking even a slight interest in our comfort, 
we ardently hoped that Capt. Wirz would 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 233 

never make his appearance again, for he 
would never clo as much for us as we were 
having done then. With his second advent 
we knew would come anew, misery and starva- 
tion, for his active mind would probably 
devise new methods, while he was lying by, 
to enhance our sorrow, if he should return. 

We deemed it no wonder that so many of 
our men died. The wonder, rather, was that 
any lived. At roll-call on the morning of the 
twenty-sixth, thirty-two in our squad of ninety 
men were too sick to stand up in the ranks to 
be counted. If they had been in our lines, 
they would have been sent to the hospital, 
received the tenderest care, and the most deli- 
cate food, but there, it was the same coarse 
bread and greasy bacon, for sick and well 
alike. Sorghum molasses was an article they 
seemed to have in great plenty, and this was 
often dispensed to us. 

I recovered from the influence of the first 
day with the scurvy, so as to feel quite well 
again, and, indeed, it seemed quite necessary 
that I should keep up, since I was the only 
well man, with one exception, in "our family" 



234 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

of eleven. The rest were either lame or sick. 
We hoped much from a change in the atmos- 
phere, as the weather was growing clearer and 
cooler, and might induce a better state of 
health in the camp generally. 

Two or three hundred men from Sherman s 
army came in during these days, to take board 
in our extensive establishment. "Twenty-six 
States of the old Union," they boasted, "were 
represented in the prison at Andersonville." 
It certainly revealed the fact then, that there 
were Union-loving men in States they had 
claimed their own, — men who were willing to 
run the risk of great privations, and of even 
life itself, that they might be instrumental, if 
possible, in restoring what had been ruthlessly 
cut off. Whether they thought of this amid 
their boastings or not, we can not say; but 
History may suggest the thought to them in 
coming time, if they live to see it. 

The entrance of these prisoners, and occa- 
sional news concerning exchange, were the 
prominent matters to break the monotony of 
our life during the latter part of this month. 
When the Sabbath came, we would indulge in 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 235 

extra day-dreams of "Home, sweet home," and 
perhaps the prayer went up with still more of 
fervor, " God grant we may not be doomed to 
disappointment again." 

Quite the last of the month, within the last 
clay or two, it was said that our Government 
had really accepted the proposals made by the 
South in regard to exchange. The all-absorb- 
ing question in connection with it was, "What 
are the conditions upon which the South is 
willing to do this?" The rebel officers all 
agreed in saying that they only required man 
for man and officer for officer according to 
rank. This, certainly, did not seem unfair; 
and if true, we could not imagine why our 
release was not secured. "Can it be," we 
would ask among ourselves, " that our Govern- 
ment is not aware of our suffering condition?" 
If they were, there must be very strong rea- 
sons against exchange, or they would not leave 
so many of us to be sacrificed in our pestilen- 
tial prison-pen. 

Another canard in circulation also, was to 
the effect that Vice-President A. H. Stephens, 
Gov. Brown, and one other, had gone on to 



236 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Washington, bearing proposals for peace ; but 
we believed less of this than the other. 

"While ruminating upon these things, M , 

the clerk in the office of the Prison Command- 
ant, came in on a pass, bringing with him the 
unwelcome intelligence that Capt. Wirz, our 
old tormentor, was back again from Macon, 
and in command again, so we had nothing to 
look for but a return of our old regime. He 
also told us that he overheard the rebel offi- 
cers say that an army corps had left Sherman, 
with fifteen days' rations, for an unknown 
point; but it was the opinion of Captain 
Wirz that they were destined to strike a blow 
for us. Thus, like guilty persons, always fear- 
ing detection, did these men in authority con- 
tinually fear the advance of our troops upon 
them. No considerable portion could move in 
any direction, but they supposed it to be with 
evil intent upon them. 

Quite a number of letters came in on the 
1st of September, for the boys of our regi- 
ment. They were all from home, but con- 
tained nothing but domestic news. One of 
our number passed beyond the boundaries of 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 237 

time in the morning : G , of Co. A. His 

brother, an old prisoner, who belonged to an- 
other regiment, died a few days before. The 
next day, still another died after a long sick- 
ness. The boys who carried out his body to 
the dead-house, learned that another of the 
same company was also lying dead. Our reg- 
iment was getting sadly thinned, and we said 
in our sorrow, " God only knows how many of 
us will live to tell the sad tale." The charge 
of the "ninety" devolved upon me, as the 
other sergeants had become too feeble to 
discharge their wonted duties. It would keep 
me busy nearly the whole day drawing rations 
and cooking for the poor sick boys who were 
unable to cook for themselves. As if we had 
not enough already, some sick and wounded 
ones were sent in from Macon, and a few so- 
called convalescents were sent in from the 
hospital to the prison, that room might be 
made for them there. 

The idea of "thinning out" was started, and 
one of the men who worked outside brought 
it in to us. The plan, he said, was in contem- 
plation, to remove about eighteen thousand 



238 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

of us to some other prison. Any change, we 
thought, would be agreeable, although it were 
nothing more than a change in prisons. 
Among other things, he learned that General 
Winder had been relieved from command, by 
a person with a queer name, which he could 
not remember, but whom the rebels declared 
a a better man." Of one thing we were cer- 
tain, that he could not be much worse. But 
we had known even Gen. Winder to do one 

KIND ACT. 

One of the Plymouth prisoners was an old 
citizen, who had been chief clerk for the Post 
Quartermaster at that place, and in former and 
more prosperous days a captain in the regular 
army ; even holding, at one time, a position 
upon this same Gen, Winder's staff. He was 
very much respected where he was known, 
and almost every body in Plymouth knew 
Capt. Everett. He was put into prison with 
the rest of us, and was finally taken sick, the 
hardships of his confinement proving too 
much for his age. When Gen. Winder learned 
the condition of the man who had once been 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 239 

associated with him, he took him out of his 
miserable place and gave him good care, pro- 
viding medical attendance and better food 
than he would otherwise have had. But it 
was too late. The old Captain died, yet he 
had a respectable Christian burial; and this 
convinced us that there was one soft spot in 
the heart of the Rebel General, after all. 

Early on the morning of the 4th, I was 
aroused from my sleep by one of the boys, 
who gave me the sad news that Orderly Ser- 
geant L , of Co. C, was dead, at the 

same time requesting me to break the mourn- 
ful truth to his brother, who held a corres- 
ponding position in another company. It was 
a hard task to go and do this, but I did it. 
Elder Shepard conducted a very touching and 
beautiful funeral service over the body before 
it was carried out. The afflicted brother was 
present, and though he said but little, we all 
knew that silent grief was at work, and we 
deeply sympathized with him. 

It was a calm Sabbath day, and our friends 
at home were probably enjoying it; but we 
were suffering — dying. Soon after this we 



240 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had a death in our own tent. One of our 
comrades, who had been with us ever since 
the regiment first went out, passed away, after 
an illness of just two weeks. A night or two 
before his departure, when he was very feeble, 
he said to me, "If I could only live just to see 
my wife and mother, I could die happy ; but 
to die here, far away from home, and to be 
buried here, — I tell you, Kobert, it is tough ! n % 
And it was. None but those who were there 
could realize it in all its terrible earnestness. 
They were scenes that could not be imagined, 
and only endured with patience and cheerful- 
ness by those who had such faith as to bear 
them aloft above earth, where they could 
catch a glimpse of the 

"Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood," 

which 

"Stand dressed in living green." 

It was said on the 6 th, that a general ex- 
change of prisoners had been agreed upon, 
and it was accompanied by orders for the first 
eighteen detachments to be ready to move at 
any moment after twelve o'clock at night. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 241 

This really looked as if it might amount to 
something, and we hoped the 

DAY OF DELIVERANCE 

had at last come. All was rejoicing and hurry 
and bustle in the detachments that were or- 
dered to be ready. Indeed, the whole prison 
was in a furore of joyous excitement, Every 
body was talking over with his neighbor the 
probability of the reality of the movement, 
but most of them were quite certain that this 
was surely the first true step towards exchange. 
The next morning our eyes did indeed behold 
a joyful sight. Seven detachments, or over 
eighteen hundred men, were taken out of 
prison and put on board cars, and in all proba- 
bility they were bound for our lines. The 
orders to many more were, to "be ready to 
leave," and it would come our turn soon. 
What exultation was kindled at the prospect ! 

It seemed hard that H could not have 

lived to go with us, but it was not for us to 
question God's doings. Evans, another of our 
number, was very sick, and we feared he 
might die before our turn should come. We 



242 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

were not counted in the morning, and we 
indulged in the blissful thought that we 
should be no more troubled in that way, for 
the officers over us had been heard to declare 
that the prison was finally to be left empty. 
That night, at one o'clock, or rather morning, 
they began taking out more detachments, and 
at daylight the opposite hill-side looked quite 
bare. When the light of the morning dawned, 
poor Evans was no longer an inhabitant of 
earth. He was ready and willing to go, and 
his last message to his friends at home was, 
" tell them I was prepared to die" It was sor- 
rowful indeed to see our comrades dying, even 
when the work of exchange was going on. 
Some of the detachments who went out in 
the morning came in again in the afternoon 
to wait until more cars should arrive. They 
said they were allowed to have their liberty, 
and do about as they pleased while outside, 
and that only two guards went on each car of 
the train that had already left. Some would 
not, even now, believe that the movement 
meant exchange, and persisted in saying, "It's 
all humbug," although the Confederate offi- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 243 

cers, without exception, assured us that 
we were going home, and that they had 
not another prison large enough to put us in, 
if they wished to. If they w r ere really 
attempting a transfer, and nothing else, we 
thought they would have placed a larger 
guard in attendance. Everything looked 
favorable to our hopes, but we had so many 
times been disappointed in these, we could 
hardly believe they were to be realized, even 
when the door was open for us. It seemed 
to us high time for a change of some sort, for 
for we were drawing only a little coarse corn 
meal and a scrap of raw fresh beef for our 
rations. The next morning one of the boys 
who had deserted from the rebel service, and 
had been with us ever since we were captured, 
died. When Plymouth surrendered a number 
of the 

LOYAL NORTH CAROLINIANS, 

of the 2d regiment of that State, were taken 
with us. The rebels were very bitter against 
these "buffaloes," as they called them, for many 
of them had been on their side, and left it for 
the service of the Union. These men had 



244 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

suffered almost everything at the hands of 
those they refused to serve, and they felt for 
them corresponding hatred. To avoid detec- 
tion, many of them assumed different names; 
and passed off as members of our regiment, or 
some others. Some of them were afterwards 
discovered by the "rebs," but a number went 
into prison with us as Connecticut, Pennsylva- 
nia or New York men, and we did everything 
in our power to help them, and prevent them 
from being found out. It was one of those 
who fell, a victim to disease, that morning. 

Over twelve hundred men went out before 
sunset, and a large number had the promise 
of being taken out before morning. Seven 
of our "ninety" succeeded in "flanking out" 
with the detachments who went out the 
night before, and others, encouraged by their 
example, went up to the gate with these, 
hoping to find a more speedy release in this 
way. The next day we waited impatiently 
for orders to move, and at twilight, or near 
the close of the day, our wishes were gratified. 
We were drawing rations, and a rebel Ser- 
geant came down with the welcome informa- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 



245 



tion that our "ninety" must be ready imme- 
diately, and take their position in line near 
the prison gate. We had very little baggage, 
of course, to care for, and in a very few 
moments we were waiting to go out. We 
were all in a tremor of excitement. To think 
that we were really going to leave that horri- 
ble place, was enough to fill our hearts with 
deepest joy. There was one drawback to our 
happiness, however, caused by being com- 
pelled to leave two of our number, who were 
sick,, and altogether unable to be moved. We 
tried to cheer them by telling them they 
would probably come along in a few days, 
and meantime they would receive better care 
than if they went with us, but when we 
finally bade them farewell, we were very sad, 
for it seemed to us the last time we should 
ever exchange a word with them, and it was 
manifest that a like feeling was theirs also. 
We had suffered so long together; so long 
shared each other's trials and misfortunes, we 
loved each other as brothers, and it was hard 
to leave them, but there was no other alterna- 
tive. While these things were passing through 



246 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

the mind, we were suddenly diverted by the 
cry, u there they go," and sure enough the line 
had commenced to move, and we were to pass 
out that gate that had been closed against us 
so many weary months. Many, very many, 
who had gone in with us at the beginning, 
were now no more, but a sigh and a tear was 
all the tribute we could leave them then. We 
had ministered to them in sickness, and closed 
their eyes at the last, and each had a place in 
memory, but nothing more could be clone. 
The place we were leaving was one about 
which the saddest associations would ever 
cluster; not wholly because so many of our 
brothers-in-arms had found the prison gate the 
gate of death, but there were other things 
combined to make us shudder at the remem- 
brance. Taunts, insult and abuse in almost 
every possible form had been heaped upon us, 
and the impression of this could never be 
effaced. 

But before we proceed any further m our 
narrative, and in order to give a complete 
history of affairs at Anderson ville, we insert 
a chapter relative to the Hospital department. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 247 

For information concerning this, we are 
indebted to the following testimony of Hiram 
Buckingham, Quarter-Master Sergeant of our 
own regiment, who was detailed as hospital 
steward, or Doctor's clerk, and consequently 
was well fitted to give a just description of 
the inner and outer condition of that melan- 
choly place. 



CHAPTER VII. 

HOSPITAL AT ANDERSON VILLE. 

Thousands throughout our country have a 
personal interest in this ill-fated spot, for 
thither, husbands, sons and brothers were car- 
ried, to finish their earthly course ; their 
career as patriots and soldiers, and there, 
within a short distance, their bones lie, as it 
may seem to some, a lost contribution to 
national honor, but to many, far otherwise. 
Though no monument of granite ever mark 
the place where these heroes lie, telling of 
the mighty sacrifice that was made there, yet 
that spot in Georgia soil will be forever conse- 



248 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

crated, in countless homes in every part of 
our land, and who shall intimate the power 
and extent of that influence that shall go 
forth from these to awaken the fire of patriot- 
ism in other hearts, bidding them "go and do 
likewise/' if need be. Indignation, too, will 
fan the flame, for. the sad conviction is forced 
upon the minds of people that, were it not for 
utter neglect and inhumanity, thousands of 
valuable lives might have been spared that 
are now forever lost to friends and country by 
this one cause. It is a tearful history — a sad 
record, and many will shrink from the revolt- 
ing details here given, but it is confidently 
asserted that there are none of these state- 
ments but will be corroborated by every one 
who had the misfortune to be a prisoner in 
that unhappy locality. "When I first went 
into the prison," says Mr. Buckingham, "on 
the first of May, 1864, the hospital was inside 
the stockade, half of it on one side of the 
stream that ran in our midst, and half on the 
other side. The condition of things was hor- 
rible in the extreme. A single glimpse of 
things within was enough to make a man sick. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 249 

He could but turn away in loathing and dis- 
gust, from the sight of so much wretchedness 
and misery ; so much filth and pollution. 
Most of the inmates at that time were Belle 
Island prisoners, who had endured all the 
hardships of the previous winter, and were 
worn and wasted by exposure and its conse- 
quent diseases. There were comparatively 
few of them then, scarcely over two hundred, 
a circumstance accounted for in two ways. 
In the first place, a man never went in and 
came out alive, for usually he was so low 
upon his admission, that there was almost 
nothing to hope for, and in the second place, 
if a man had a friend or comrade to help him, 
he would not go in at all, for he preferred to 
die in the comparative quiet of his own tent, 
surrounded by such comforts as friendly sym- 
pathy could procure, rather than end his days 
where so much wretchedness was congregated. 
This was the last resort, and to see a poor 
fellow brought in upon a blanket, was to con- 
clude that his race was almost run ; his days 
well nigh ended, and that there remained 
nothing for him but to breathe his life away 



250 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

in the midst of such misery as was inconceiva- 
ble to any but those who walked the melan- 
choly round themselves. The utter want of 
cleanliness ; the pestilential air ; the improper 
and miserable food, and scanty medicines, all 
combined to render the swift coming of death 
sure. One could expect nothing else when he 
entered. If by any possibility one survived 
the shock, and went forth among his fellows a 
living man, it was looked upon as something 
well-nigh miraculous. It was rarely, if ever, 
known. It was the general expectation, when 
any went into the hospital, that it was the last 
of earth for them ; and how could it be other- 
wise ? Where was the single condition that 
tended in the least degree to restoration? 
Where was the slightest thing favorable to 
anything like invigoration? The excellent 
condition of our Northern hospitals : their 
comfortable couches, tender nursing, abundant 
remedies, with their appropriate stimulants 
and delicacies, oftentimes win back the feeble 
sufferer to life, and make him strong and well 
again; but not so there. Pieces of canvas 
only sheltered those poor sick and dying men 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 251 

from the rain and sun of a climate that would 
have been none too favorable for them under 
the best of circumstances. 

Their emaciated, pain-racked frames had no 
place to rest but upon the cold, hard ground, 
and in numberless instances their heads were 
pillowed upon nothing softer than a stick of 
wood. 

The skin would often wear away, leaving 
their bodies sore, and these could not be cared 
for, as there was nothing to dress them with ; 
and even if there had been, their necessary 
position allowed no respite in the acuteness of 
their suffering. 

Added to these things, the sink was dug 
within a single rod of these men, which, of 
course, did not add to the purity of the air 
about them. It was enough, of itself, to make 
a man sick. 

What would not these men have given for 
a clean bed, pure air, and a dish of something 
that would have been inviting to the taste ! 
Many of them had been unused to want or 
hardship before they entered the army, but 
words of murmuring or complaint were sel- 
11 



252 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

dom heard. Many of them were conscious of 
having been moved with the "sublime inspira- 
tion of a great purpose," when they enlisted 
to fight the battles of their country, and they 
took its chances and its changes with heroic 
firmness. 

In all probability a great many lives might 
have been saved, that have now been sacri- 
ficed, had it not been for the barbarous treat- 
ment to which they were subjected. A sad 
necessity was upon us. We must see our 
men pine away and die, while we were utterly 
powerless to help them. Could we have had 
the satisfaction of feeling that everything had 
been done for them that could be done, we 
might have seen them close their eyes in 
death with far different emotions, but we 
could not escape the impression that a vast 
amount of life-blood had been spilled, simply 
to gratify the malice of a heartless foe, who 
gloried in the wrecks before them. 

About the first of June, the hospital was 
completed outside the stockade. This was sit- 
uated about one hundred rods from the en- 
trance to the latter place, and occupied quite 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 253 

a pleasant position. Some of the trees had 
been left standing, and furnished quite an 
agreeable shade. It was enclosed by a board 
fence about six feet high, and contained about 
four acres of ground. This was laid out in 
streets and wards, and now and then a tent 
was to be seen, but most of them were noth- 
ing but square pieces of canvas spread over a 
pole, which formed a roof, but left it all open 
below, so that the patients were exposed con- 
stantly to the rain, sun, and night dews. 
Quite a stream of water ran through one end 
of the enclosure, and all the men who were 
able could repair to this for the purpose of 
keeping themselves clean. About a thousand 
poor creatures had refuge there at that time. 

They began with an attempt to keep the 
sanitary affairs of the hospital in tolerable 
condition. They had a police squad, who 
made their appearance twice a day to see that 
the requisite order was maintained to secure 
this result. About a month after the removal 
from the stockade, they enlarged the grounds 
so that they could accommodate twenty-five 
hundred; and at its completion, Dr. White, 



254 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Surgeon in charge, admitted seven hundred 
men in one day. Nearly half of these could 
walk, but the remainder of them went in just 
as they could, some of them on their hands 
and heels, their legs being so drawn with 
scurvy that they could not keep in an erect 
position. 

A person coming in at such a time, unused 
to the horrors of prison life, would have turned 
pale at the sickening sight before him. He 
would have felt things unutterable in view of 
these half-starved, half-clothed, diseased and 
wretched beings, who had once deliberately 
clothed themselves in the uniform which dis- 
tinguished them as the peculiar property of 
their country, but were now dying under a 
pressure they had no power to resist. History 
tells of bands of men that are sent forth, 
doomed to infamy and poverty, wretchedness 
and want, because public opinion where they 
dwell deems it a just punishment for what 
they have done. No sympathy goes with the 
exiles, for society is better off without them 
than with them. Their hard features, reckless 
expression and uncomely visages may awaken 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 255 

contempt, but scarcely pity, for they have 
wrought out their own destiny, by their own 
perverse willfulness. These are the lawless 
ones that are a scourge to the world, and 
every one feels that it is a mercy to be rid of 
them. In such case we might look upon an 
equal amount of misery, and not be touched 
as in the other instance. In the one case, it is 
self-inflicted and for base ends ; in the other, 
imposed upon for devotion to and action in 
the prosecution of noble aims ; for unselfish 
working for the general good. 

The little army that filed in at the hospital 
in July, at Andersonville, may have looked 
externally like beggars; but they were no 
convicts, — no exiles for crimes that they had 
done. They had left home in the full exercise 
of every manly virtue, and society mourned 
their loss. 

They were the pride of loyal people ; the 
light of countless homes ; the idols of many 
hearts ; and Love was keeping the fires bright 
upon myriad altars awaiting their glad return. 
One looking upon them would have known 
that these fires would go out in darkness 5 that 



256 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

but few, if any, of that sickly crowd, would 
ever look again upon those they had loved ; 
ever see or hear again a congenial sight or 
sound. 

It was this that would have unsealed the 
fountain of tears, and stirred the heart to 
truest pity. It was a sad sight, — sad for any 
one, but more so to those who knew what they 
must suffer when once admitted and subjected 
to the treatment of 



many of whom had no feeling for them. All 
were conscripts, and chose the profession in 
which they were engaged, rather than shoul- 
der the musket and go to the front. They 
were allowed eleven dollars a month, which 
was about equal to one in u greenbacks," and 
the government ration of meat and bacon. 
They availed the iselves of the opportunity 
to acquaint themselves with surgery, and were 
not therefore slow in performing amputations 
if they saw fit. They had also a dissecting- 
house not very far distant, where they contin- 
ued their experiments. 



AISTDERSONVILLE HOSPITAL. 



WARDS 



STREETS 



10 



19 



18 



17 



16 



15 



11 



13 



12 



11 





A Well. 
B Gate.* 
C Fort. 



D Head-Quarters Tents. 
E Dispensatory. 
F Dissecting House. 



•The other sides of the Hospital border upon Swamps. 



258 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

They commenced their duties about eight 
in the morning, and finished about one in the 
afternoon. The interest which they felt in 
their work was manifest in the manner of 
doing it. They would stand in the middle of 
the street, and with folded arms ask the patient 
how he felt, and then very indifferently tell 
the clerk to renew the prescriptions of a pre- 
vious time. In justice to some, however, we 
can say, they were kind to the sick and did 
what they could for them, but they were re- 
luctant to go into the tents on account of the 
lice which were there in such quantities. 

The form to be observed before one could 
get into the hospital at all, was a burden to 
the men who were already so feeble they 
could scarcely support the weight of their 
bodies. 

Outside was built a board fence the whole 
length of the stockade, and about three rods 
wide, where the doctors had the 

SICK CALL. 

Here they had a little shed built to protect 
themselves from the sun, and here over one 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 259 

thousand persons would come out daily, hop- 
ing to find some remedy for their sufferings. 
A third of them would be brought in blankets 
by their comrades, as no prescriptions were 
given unless they saw the patient. The num- 
ber then sent to the hospital would correspond 
with the vacancies death had made in the pre- 
vious twenty-four hours. These would have 
a piece of paper, with their number and 
name, put upon their clothes, or in their 
pockets, and it was not a strange thing that 
they were left in the hot sun all day, without 
anything to eat, or water to drink, and with a 
burning fever in their veins. Their sufferings, 
of course, were indescribable, and it was little 
that their comrades could do to help them. 
Some of the physicians were educated men, 
from whose hearts the law of human kindness 
was not wholly effaced, but some were unfit- 
ted in every possible way for the work 
assigned them. 

The Doctor of my ward was a Georgian, a 
fine fellow, and a Union man. To him I con- 
fided my purpose to escape, and met with the 
assurance that he would afford me any assist- 



260 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

ance in his power to gain such an end. With 
him, as with many others, choice could not 
have its way, else they would have been 
found in other positions, more congenial to 
their feelings ; they would have been offering 
help and comfort to their fellow-men, under 
an administration more desirable than that of 
the Confederates. Everything about us seemed 
marked by cruelty and heartlessness. One 
night I was startled by the sound of a musket, 
and immediately after, I recognized a human 
voice, uttering the exclamation, in plaintive 
tones, "Oh, I am shot." I instantly arose and 
hastened to the spot from whence the sound 
proceeded, and there found that one of the poor 
fellows in my ward had gone to the fire that 
was kept by the guard who were stationed 
inside the fence, for the purpose of warm- 
ing himself. Some one from the outside pass- 
ing by, called out gruffly to him, " Get away 
from there," and without giving him time to 
obey the heartless order, fired upon him, 
breaking his leg just above the knee. The 
following morning he was subjected to ampu- 
tation, but he never rallied from it. He 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 261 

lingered about three weeks and died. Some 
of the physicians pronounced it an outrage, and 
seemed inclined to do for him what they could. 
This was not an isolated case; .an individual 
instance where hatred and malice wreaked 
their vengeance upon a single object of dislike. 
It is only one of the countless number that 
we might record, of which we have been eye- 
witnesses, and which show the merciless char- 
acter of the men with whom we had to deal 
constantly. 

Among so many, selfishness finds expres- 
sion, also, and such manifestations among the 
sick in a hospital, give anything but the pleas- 
ant side of human nature. Some of the 
nurses were very kind, and did all in their 
power for the comfort of those upon whom 
they attended, but others would stand over 
dying men, and search them for the valuable 
things they might have in their possession, 
before the breath had left the body. The 
physicians had something of a variety of 
medicine, but it was altogether insufficient in 
quantity. They obtained them from the labo- 
ratory at Macon, and a month's supply would 



262 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

last only about two days. There was no 
alternative, then, but to let disease go on its 
way unchecked, or to resort to the woods for 
such barks and roots as were known to be 
medicinal in their nature. For astringents, in 
cases of diarrhea, we used white oak and 
sweet fern, and sumach berries for scurvy in 
the mouth ; but it was not medicine, after all, 
that was so much needed, as good, wholesome 
food. Could we have had this, with plenty of 
vinegar, or some acid, what a change would 
have been wrought in our wretched looking 
company at the hospital! 

THE RATIONS, 

for twenty-four hours, for these poor sick ones, 
was a piece of corn bread about two inches 
square, and two ounces of meat. In case of 
very severe sickness, they might have two 
gills of flour, enough for a biscuit, and this 
would be baked by the nurse of the ward, and 
sometimes they had a little rice, but so mis- 
erably cooked as to be almost loathsome. It 
would be boiled in two large kettles, and then 
filled up with cold water to make it hold. out, 
for the supply of those who needed it. Any 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 263 

way and any how, seemed to be the principle 
upon which everything was done, as may be 
seen in case of the meal of which the bread 
was made, it being a mixture of the cob and 
corn, for it was all ground together, thus fur- 
nishing no better material for the diet of a 
sick man than we had commonly seen given 
to swine at home. What wonder, then, that 
we saw so many living skeletons constantly 
before us! 

I have seen men walking about, in hundreds 
of cases, that, according to my judgment, 
would not weigh seventy-five pounds, and 
these were men, too, who had once known a 
uniform weight of one hundred and eighty. 
They would live in this way for months, grad- 
ually growing thinner and weaker, until they 
were entirely worn out, and there was nothing 
left on which life could feed itself. The 
principal 

DISEASES 

were diarrhea, scurvy, dropsy, and typhoid 
fever. To think of these as they exist at the 
North, one has no idea of them whatsoever. 
The aggravated form they assumed there, 



264 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

with every possible thing to augment their 
power of working, is past all conception, ter- 
rible. The intensity of suffering, among those 
who were the victims of the first mentioned 
disease, surpasses all description. I have 
known many of them to eat nothing for 
a week at a time, except a little flour paste, 
while all the while their evacuations would be 
nothing but blood, and attended with the most 
excruciating pain, and oftentimes the requisite 
change in their position would at once produce 
fairitness. We always expected death as the 
inevitable result in such cases, for none were 
ever cured. 

In dropsy, the suffering was hardly less 
acute. I have seen the limbs of some of the 
patients which had become so badly swollen, 
they would burst, and for the want of proper 
treatment become filled with living things. 
An instance occurs to my mind now, of one 
poor man, whose body was so racked with 
pain by this disease, that he cried out in his 
agony for some one to kill him. He lingered 
a while in this condition, and death finally 
came and took away the spirit from its dis- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 26 7 

eased and wretched tenement, leaving it all 
unconscious of the torments it had endured. 
Sometimes it would settle in the face, and in 
such cases they could not see at all, and they 
would meet us in our round, their disfigured 
countenances mutely challenging our sympa- 
thies, and kindling constant regret that we 
could do so little to help them, when they 
must have it or die. 

The horrors of scurvy none can know but 
those who have witnessed them. It appeared 
in different forms. Sometimes it would appear 
in the limbs, and the cords would be so drawn 
up they could not walk. The flesh would 
become discolored as if they had been beaten 
with clubs, and so soft, the impress of the 
fingers would remain as they pressed upon it. 
Sometimes it would be confined to the bones, 
and not show itself outside at all. In such 
cases it would be attended with the most 
intense pain. At other times it would be in 
the mouth, and the gums would become sepa- 
rated from the teeth, and finally they would 
drop out altogether, and not a tooth be left in 
the jaw. I have seen hundreds of cases in 



268 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

this disease, where the men have actually 
starved to death, because they were unable to 
eat the coarse food that was furnished them 
by the Confederates. 

They had but a limited supply of medicines 
that were necessary in these instances, and 
for want of these it would be unchecked until 
gangrene set in to fill up the measure of suf- 
fering. 

The blood of the men, generally, was in 
such an impure state, that the least break of 
the skin would be almost sure to lead to a 
gangrenous sore, and many amputations were 
performed in consequence. Under the influ- 
ence of a scorching sun, the entire upper sur- 
face of the foot would become blistered ; these 
would break, leaving the flesh exposed, and 
having nothing to dress it with, or protect it 
in any way, gangrene was inevitable, and this 
would be followed by the loss of the foot, if 
not a larger portion of the limb. In many 
cases they were so much debilitated when the 
attempt was made, they would never recover 
from the influence of the chloroform, and if 
they had strength at the beginning, they 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 269 

I 

would afterwards die for the want of proper 
nourishment, which it was impossible to obtain. 
The amputations would average as many as 
half a dozen every day, and I knew not a 
single instance of recovery from them. 

In addition to these things, there were also 
cases of extreme suffering, without number, 
caused by the use of bad vaccine matter. 
Whether the rebels did this intentionally, or 
not, we can not say, but it certainly became a 
melancholy fact among us. I remember the 
sad condition of a man, who had it break out 
under his arm and eat into his vitals, and the 
opening was so large as almost to admit a 
man's hand. 

Some became the victims of total blindness, 
occasioned, it may be, by constant exposure to 
the heat of the sun, and its action upon the 
nervous system. 

In the month of June it rained twenty-one 
days in succession, and it was not strange that 
disease should multiply and assume every 
imaginable form. There were fifteen thou- 
sand men in the stockade, without shelter of 
any kind, and it might be expected that the 



270 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

hospital would be rapidly peopled from their 
ranks. Indeed, the latter place was hardly 
any better. During the warm season it was 
dreadful. The men scarcely ever wore any 
clothing at all, but a shirt, that they might 
keep as free as possible from the lice, which 
covered all their clothing. It was three 
hours' work every day, in my comparatively 
healthful condition, to keep my own body 
tolerably free from them, and the poor, sick 
men, who were too feeble to help themselves, 
would actually find their life-blood taken away 
from them in this way. Many men have died 
apparently from no other cause than that of 
being overrun with lice. I have had men's 
hair cut, when, if these had been measured, 
there would have been in bulk a half pint of 
them, and in size about a quarter of an inch. 
Mosquitoes, too, were terrible. A man who 
could not, through weakness, defend himself, 
looked as if he had the measles, so completely 
would his face be covered with their bites, and 
fleas without number vied with these to tor- 
ment the poor prisoner, sick or well. It is 
hardly possible to conceive a greater accumu- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 271 

lation of woes to come upon mortal men, 
than fell to the lot of our prisoners at Ander- 
son ville. 

In view of all these things, some of the 
rebel Surgeons felt compelled to call for some- 
thing better, but it fell mostly upon unheed- 
ing ears. 

Nearly a thousand died during the month 
of August, and in the midst of this fearful 
mortality, Surgeon Eeeves reported as follows, 
and we must remember this bears the mild- 
ness of 

REBEL TESTIMONY. 

"I find the tents in bad condition, a great 
many leaking, and a great many of the 
patients lying on the ground and getting very 
wet when it rains. would most respect- 
fully recommend that straw of some kind be 
secured for bedding; also some arrangement 
to raise them from the ground. Without a 
change in this respect, it will be impossible 
for me to practice with success." No response 
was made to this, and still later another, Sur- 
geon Pelot, uttered his protest with regard to 
diet. "The corn bread," he says, "received 



272 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

from the bakery, being made up without sift- 
ing, is wholly unfit for the sick, and often, 
upon examination, the inner portion is found 
to be perfectly raw. The beef received by the 
patients does not amount to over two ounces 
per day ; and for the past three or four days 
no flour has been issued to the sick. The 
bread can not be eaten by many ; for to do so 
would be to increase the disease of the bowels, 
from which a large majority are suffering; 
and it is therefore thrown away." 

Themselves being judges, they declared the 
rations too small, and not sufficiently nourish- 
ing, and they gave it as their deliberate con- 
viction that the patients of the hopital suf- 
fered as much from hunger as from disease. 

About the middle of August Dr. Thornburg 
reported his patients in a "deplorable condi- 
tion," some of them being without clothing of 
any kind. "In the first, second and third 
wards," he writes, "we have no bunks, the 
patients being compelled to lie on the ground, 
many of them without blankets, or any cover- 
ing whatsoever. If there are any beds in 
c Dixie,' it is to be hoped that they will be pro- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS, 273 

cured. We need straw very badly, especially 
for the fifth ward. We have men in this 
ward who are a living, moving mass of putre- 
faction, and can not possibly be cured of their 
wounds unless we can make them more com- 
fortable." 

Such is the testimony of men whom we 
would not think likely to exaggerate in this 
matter. They even declare that some of the 
food furnished the prisoners would "produce 
disease among swine." 

As a sad consequence of all this, thirteen 
thousand of our brave boys lie buried in that 
ever-to-be-remembered place. How often did 
we think, "had they died on the field of bat- 
tle we could have felt differently," but they 
must die by inches, in the most miserable of 
places, and with the most miserable treatment, 
clay after day, and week after week, hoping, 
watching and praying for release. Hundreds 
of times in a clay would the question be 
asked, " Is there no news of exchange ?" They 
seemed to have a wonderful tenacity of life. 
Hope seemed to keep them up until almost 
every spark of life had gone out, and when it 



274 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

went altogether, it was so sudden they seldom 
mentioned anything about dying, and, indeed, 
they never seemed to realize it when death 
was just upon them. So gradual and constant 
would be their decline, they would be accus- 
tomed to weakness and suffering without 
thinking what it would inevitably tend to. 

One poor fellow fell over and died while in 
the act of eating a biscuit, and very many 
came to their end in a way equally sud- 
den and unlooked for. We could scarcely 
account for it. Evidently the springs of life 
had been drying at their source, all uncon- 
sciously to themselves and others. Occasion- 
ally some one would talk with me of the com- 
ing event, and send little messages to the 
friends who shared their dying thoughts. 

D. S. Birdsell, of Hartford, Ct, went into 
the hospital just before I left. Upon his 
entrance he told me he thought death was 
doing its work, and every feature of his coun- 
tenance was marked with sadness as he said 
it, for he had a wife and children that would 
mourn his loss. Tears filled his eyes as he 
thought of them, and how desirable it would 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 275 

be if he could only spend his last days with 
them. It was a struggle for nature to yield, 
and he said, "It's hard to die here. I had 
hoped to die at home" and how much that 
word means to a soldier and a prisoner, espe- 
cially to one that sees his days to be almost 
numbered. I obtained soup for him that I 
thought would strengthen and revive him, 
and did all I could for his encouragement, and 
for a time he seemed better, but it did not 
last long. He died, and is one of the thou- 
sands who lie buried there. At his entrance 
he gave me his diary and pictures to have in 
charge until I could send them to his family, 
and bade me tell them of his love and remem- 
brance in his last days, far away from them. 

Others also sent pictures and messages to 
their friends, but these instances were com- 
paratively isolated, for reasons that we have 
before mentioned. 

It may seem strange that this should be so, 
and it often appeared so to myself, but it is 
best understood by those who were acquainted 
with the condition of the men and witnessed 
their slow decline. 



276 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Death was often times doing its work before 
the men were carried to the hospital. They 
had two ambulances and an army wagon, 
in which they always carried the patients. 
An ambulance would hold four, and from this 
number I have often seen two taken out dead, 
having breathed out their lives on the way, 
and many died while waiting outside the stock- 
ade for some one to come to their relief. 

After death, the men were carried to the 
gate and laid inside the stockade, next to the 
dead line, where they often remained in the 
hot sun until the next morning. They were 
then taken by our own men, who had been 
paroled for the purpose, and carried outside 
to a 

DEAD HOUSE, 

made of pine boughs, which formed a kind 
of screen. After all had been collected at 
this place, they were carried out unto the 
place of burial. I have seen one hundred 
bodies in a row, and some of them so decom- 
posed as to fall to pieces on being removed. 
Large quantities of whisky were given to the 
men who attended to the burial of these. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 277 

Surprising as it may seem, it came to be 
considered a great privilege to assist in this 
work, so that men would almost contend for 
it. It even came to be a matter of trade, and 
from one to three dollars in U. S. money was 
the price for being permitted to carry out a 
dead body, — those who died in the stockade. 

Not having a sufficient number of stretch- 
ers, they were carried out on blankets or on 
sticks of wood, and the bearers thus found ad- 
mission to the hospital, where they were likely 
to find some untasted portion of food that had 
been given to the sick, and this they would 
obtain to appease their hunger. They could 
also get wood in this way, by which they could 
cook their small allowance, so that it was es- 
teemed a double gain among these half-starved 
men which they realized for their dreadful 
work. 

After the death of the men, they were num- 
bered, and their names written on a piece of 
paper and pinned to their clothing. They 
were then taken to the dead-house, as we have 
said, but this was within hospital grounds, so 
that it was a wonder to ourselves that we had 
12 



278 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

no contagious diseases from having so many 
decaying bodies in our midst. 

Before the plan of marking and numbering 
was observed, those who died while waiting to 
be carried to the hospital were buried with 
the single word upon them, " Unknown" — and 
these were men, many of them, who had been 
reared in luxury, and who had friends whose 
hearts would well-nigh break if they knew 
half the truth respecting their sufferings. Oft- 
entimes I thought it blessed ignorance for 
them, but melancholy in the last degree for 
the poor soldier. I have shed many a tear 
myself at their sad fate, as I saw them rudely 
and unfeelingly conveyed to their last home. 

Every morning a large army-wagon would 
be driven up to the dead-house, and twenty or 
thirty bodies would be loaded in like so many 
logs of wood, one top of another, some with 
an arm hanging out at the side, and others 
with their limbs protruding at the sides, for 
there was no covering at all. The rebels 
finally became ashamed of their own want of 
decency, and provided a covered wagon. 

When they first took their prisoners to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 279 

Georgia, they furnished coffins, but the mor- 
tality became so great that they finally neg- 
lected to do that, and dug a trench about two 
and a half feet deep, with a kind of shelf of 
the dirt ten inches high, on which they placed 
slabs of wood to keep the earth from them. 
In a little time they died too fast for even 
this, and they then dug a trench that would 
hold about one hundred and twenty-five bod- 
ies, in which they placed them close together 
and covered them up. Being thus buried, 
they would take pieces of wood upon which 
the numbers had been placed, and drive them 
down at the head of each body, not knowing 
or caring whether they were where they ought 
to be or not. 

The place of burial was about half a mile 
from the hospital. It was situated on high 
ground, being level, and surrounded with pine 
forests, which made it very pleasant. It is 
emphatically a Soldiers' Cemetery, and a fear- 
ful comment upon Southern cruelty. 

But for their wretched system of treatment, 
the earth would not "have held in its embrace 
so many of our brave boys ; but for this, so 



280 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

many of the survivors would not carry with 
them broken constitutions and maimed bodies, 
as they must now do. 

The recital of these tales of horror touches 
the deepest springs of sympathy, and kindles 
the fires of indignation to a fervid glow ; but 
it may not be for us to strike the blow which 
justice demands. 

" Vengeance is mine ; I will repay, saith the 
Lord." The cry of the martyred thousands has 
gone up before high Heaven, — not heedlessly, 
but to be the means of a visitation, it may be, 
to the oppressors, which they will be ill pre- 
pared to meet. 

Fearful wrongs may not always exist. There 
comes a time when Rig;ht will assert its inhe- 
rent dignity, and show itself triumphant; but, 
meantime, the friends of the Northern soldier 
should be awake to their duty and their trust. 

If there is anything that can be done, these 
men ought not to be suffered to pine away in 
the miasma of Southern prisons. The fact 
that one hundred and fifty have died in a 
single day in the foul atmosphere of such a 
place as the prison at Andersonville, ought to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 281 

awaken the people, and through them the Gov- 
ernment, to a sense of these things, and bid 
them hasten to their relief. Much of the 
seeming apathy is doubtless due to the want 
of knowledge respecting the real state of af- 
fairs ; but when we give these mournful state- 
ments, we know whereof we affirm. 

Day by day we have gone the rounds of 
that wretched hospital, and looked upon al- 
most every variety of suffering that the hu- 
man frame is capable of presenting. 

We have seen the misery of "hope deferred'' 
written on many a countenance as we have 
passed the patient creatures on their low 
couch of earth. 

We have seen their gaunt faces and pro- 
truding bones make their silent and wistful 
appeal week by week, and wondered that 
there was none to remember us in our sor- 
row. 

We have witnessed amid all their woe and 
want, their 

FIRM DEVOTION 

to the Union cause, and known their intense 
longings for victory and success to crown the 



282 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Federal arms ; and thought would continually 
suggest that such unselfish patriots were wor- 
thy a better lot, — that they ought, at least, to 
be rescued from starvation. 

I wearied of the sickening sights constantly 
before me, and determined to make my es- 
cape. I accomplished my object by obtaining 
a suit of sailor's clothes, changing my name, 
and allowing myself to be taken to Charles- 
ton, and from thence to Libby prison at 
Richmond. There I was exchanged, having 
been a prisoner just six months. No state- 
ment have I made but will be confirmed by 
every prisoner at Andersonville, who knew 
anything of the interior of the hospital. The 
truth can not be told ; it beggars all descrip- 
tion. It is to be hoped that the time past 
will suffice, and that a like experience will not 
have to be wrought out by any company of 
soldiers in the future. The Georgia Cemetery 
should be as a mighty trumpet to proclaim 
against it 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 283 

CHAPTER VIII. 

DEPARTURE FROM PRISON. 

As we marched out of the gate, we were 
divided into squads of sixty men each, and 
marched over to the depot. The sick ones were 
placed between the strongest of us, who bore 
them up, and in this manner we wended our 
way slowly along the road. When we were 
passing the head-quarters of Captain Wirz, he 
cried out to us, "You'll never come back here 
again ! " and if it was not expressed, the sin- 
cere and inward response of every man was, 
"I hope we never may." Upon our arrival at 
the depot, we were immediately loaded into 
the cars, a squad of sixty in each one, with 
two guards upon the top. They were merely 
common box cars, such as are used at the 
North for transporting freight. We found 
placed for us inside, some corn-bread and 
bacon, which we were told was our allowance 
for two days, and also one or two wooden 
buckets in which we were to get our supply 
of water at the different stopping-places. We 



284 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

immediately divided and distributed the ra- 
tions, and had barely time to fill one of our 
buckets with water, when the cheering sound 
of the locomotive's whistle was heard, and we 
were off. Yes ! we were really leaving behind 
us that plague-spot upon the fair earth — An- 
dersonville. We went as far as Macon that 
evening, and waited there until four o'clock in 
the morning. Just before reaching Fort Val- 
ley, while the train was stopping for a few 
minutes, several men, who would not believe 
the affair would be crowned with exchange 
after all, jumped from the cars, and attempted 
to make good their escape. Our first knowl- 
edge of the fact was the simultaneous dis- 
charge of two muskets from the guards who 
saw them and fired. They were captured and 
brought back. 

Sunrise found us traveling at a rapid rate 
on the Georgia Central Eailroad, bound for 
Savannah, as we then supposed. The country 
through which we were passing was very 
beautiful, and looked like Eden to our delight- 
ed gaze, shut up as we had been for so many 
months. The trees, the green grass, the 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 285 

flowers and pure air, — everything was lovely 
to us, and received our warmest praise. As 
we passed Gordon, we saw some of the 
destruction wrought by our cavalry, under 
Gen. Stoneman. The handsome railroad sta- 
tion and freight house was burned,, and stood 
there dismantled and lonely, while bent and 
twisted rails, and partially burned ties, were 
scattered all about. 

The road had been rebuilt, and was then in 
good, running order. When we arrived at 
Millen, instead of continuing on the Central 
road, we switched off to the Augusta road. 
"How is this?" we began to inquire. Not 
having very strong confidence yet in those 
with whom we had to deal, we were a little 
fearful what might happen. Visions of an- 
other prison began to appear before us, but 
our fears were soon dispelled by assurances 
that this was the nearest and quickest route 
to Charleston, which we were told was the 
point of exchange. 

The fifty-two miles from Millen to Augusta 
was quickly sped, and shortly before sunset 
we entered that beautiful city, and here we 



286 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had to wait a long time, but it was far from 
being tedious, for we received every possible 
attention from the citizens. Men, women and 
children did their utmost to supply us with 
good, cool water, and this was something we 
were greatly in need of. One family in par- 
ticular, I shall never forget. Their home was 
in a large white house, near to the car in 
which I sat, and all of them kept hard at 
work, filling our canteens and tin cups with 
refreshing water, and bringing milk, biscuit 
and meat, with the request that it might be 
given to the sick, and it may be imagined 
how gratefully it was received by those who 
had nothing but miserable bread and bacon to 
tempt their sickly appetites. As the lady of 
the house was stepping away from the car, 
after having brought a plate of delicacies, I 
said to her, ''Madam, if you please, will you 
let me know the name of one who has been so 
kind to us?" "Yes sir," she replied, "Mrs. J. B. 
O'Donnell." Our hearts prompted the strongest 
expressions of gratitude, and even now, in 
remembrance of it, I feel like saying, "may 
God bless her for the sympathy and kindness 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 287 

which she and her family displayed toward 
us!" I do not know whether she was Union 
or rebel in sentiment, but I do know that she 
had a heart overflowing with kindness. A 
great many were gathered there, and those 
who talked with us, wished us a safe passage 
home, and above all other things did they 
wish for peace to be smiling upon them again. 
They spoke as if they were heartily tired of 
the war, and indeed we thought all Georgians 
were from some things we had seen. When 
we left there, we were taken out of the cars 
and marched over into another street, where 
others were awaiting us on a different track. 
While waiting here we came in contact with 

A REBEL SOLDIER, 

who had been exchanged only a few weeks 
before, and held quite a conversation with 
him. We had a great many questions to ask 
him, for he had come from our own land, and 
we imagined there had been quite a contrast 
between the treatment he had received and 
that which we had endured. 

"Where were you kept while a prisoner?" 
we asked. " On Johnson's Island," he told us, 



288 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

"How did our people treat you," we contin- 
ued, anxious to draw him out on points of dif- 
ference. " Very well, indeed, sir." "Did you 
have enough to eat, and good food, too !" 
"Yes, sir!" "Did you receive any vegeta- 
bles?" "Oh, yes; quite often." "And how 
was it if you were sick," we asked, "could you 
get medicine and receive medical treatment ?" 
To this he readily replied in the affirmative, 
and having satisfied our curiosity as to the 
manner in which our government treated its 
prisoners, we began to enlighten him a little 
on the way we had been treated, and we had 
pretty conclusive proof of the truth of our 
statements with us, in our own persons, or, at 
least, he seemed to think so. Reaching into 
my cloth bag, which answered as a "haver- 
sack," I drew forth a piece of corn bread, 
about the size and weight of a good brick. 
I handed it to him for inspection, saying, 
"there, that is what your people give us. 
What do you think of it ?" He looked at it, 
felt of it, and shaking his head, handed it 
back, acknowledging it was "mighty poor 
feed." "And, look here," said I, "what do you 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 289 

think of this shirt," as I pointed to the misera- 
ble apology for such a garment, " all worn to 
tatters, and these pants, all rags and dirt V 
He was honest enough not to undertake to 
excuse such a course of treatment, and con- 
fessing that "it was'nt right," he turned and 
went away. 

At ten P. M. we left on the Charleston train, 
bound direct for that " city by the .sea," carry- 
ing with us pleasant recollections of our short 
stay in Augusta. On awaking in the morn- 
ing, we found we had traveled only thirty 
miles during the night, and the journey 
through the day was conducted in the same 
style, bringing our 

ENTRANCE INTO CHARLESTON 

at three, P. M. We immediately left the cars, 
and were marched about half a mile, to the 
race-course, where a guard was thrown about 
us, and we were left to our meditations, first 
being told, however, that it was no exchange 
after all, but simply a hurried removal, caused 
by great fear of Gen. Sherman and his army. 
"How blind we had been," we thought, "not 
to have been mindful of that before !" "Now 



290 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

we see/' we said to ourselves, " that those who 
did not believe in the rebel lies were the ivise 
men, and we were the foolish ones." 

"Can these rebels have any hearts at all, to 
deceive suffering, dying men, in this syste- 
matic manner ?" we asked, but upon considera- 
tion we thought it no wonder after all, for 
they perjured themselves when they seceded 
from the government, and when men have 
once done this, it becomes an easy matter 
afterwards to repeat it as often as they please, 
and in such form as suits them best. It 
seemed that a few more such developments, 
and a little more of like experience, and we 
should have a pretty clear insight into rebel 
character. 

Collecting our thoughts, we looked about 
us to see how we were situated. The race- 
course upon which we were camped, was a 
broad, grassy flat, just outside the city, but 
commanding a view of its houses and build- 
ings. The track was grown over with grass, 
and the judges' stand looked very rickety, 
indeed, hardly able to stand by itself. The 
large building formerly used as a stand for 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 291 

spectators, was now occupied by Col. Daniels, 
of the 5th Georgia regiment, and Lieut. Col. 
Iverson ; the latter in command over us. 
These soldiers were much better clothed, and 
were a better and more intelligent set of men, 
than the conscripts who guarded us at Ander- 
sonville. They told us, with a great show of 
pride, that they had "always been at the 
front, until within four weeks." 

We had been there but a little while before 
Gen, Foster sent his compliments over to the 
city, in the shape of a shell, which burst 
in the air, directly in front of us. It did 
seem aggravating to be there, so near those 
who manned our own guns, and yet as help- 
less as if we were a thousand miles from 
them. After we left the cars, and were 
inarching over to the place of encampment, 
we met with great kindness from the citizens, 
who brought us water to drink, and gave us 
food to eat. They all expressed a great deal 
of sympathy for us, and a few of them dared 
to whisper, while unseen by the guard, that 
" they hoped our army would soon come to 
our deliverance." 



292 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

That night our rations were wholly ex- 
hausted, and all that we received was prom- 
ises that we might have good bread and bacon 
on the morrow. 

The disappointment was so very great, we 
feared it would prove too much for the boys 
who were sick, and that they would die, but 
those who were well, could but feel that it 
was some improvement to be surrounded by 
cool, clear air, not yet laden with pestilential 
odors. 

When the morrow came, we received our 
hard bread and bacon which had been prom- 
ised, each one having three and a half large 
crackers, made of good sweet flour, about six 
inches square, and about twice the quantity 
of bacon w r e had been in the habit of having 
at our prison. Some of the messes had, also, 
soap and salt. 

"We were organized, here, in a manner alto- 
gether different from that down in Georgia. 
Instead of being in detachments, as there, 
here we were placed in "thousands" and "hun- 
dreds." Our squad was designated as the 3d 
" hundred." 1st u thousand." Each one of these 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 293 

divisions was commanded by a sergeant. The 
rations were drawn from the rebels by the offi- 
cer over the " thousand," and those over " hun- 
dreds" drew their respective shares from him. 
The whole number of prisoners gathered there 
was some over six thousand. We had no 
tents and no shelter whatsoever furnished us, 
but such of us as had blankets erected some- 
thing that served to shelter us from the heat 
of the sun, but they were of little use when 
it rained. 

We could obtain plenty of water by digging 
down about four or five feet, but it was not of 
very good quality. However, a great number 
were quickly dug by the men ; so numerous, 
that one could scarcely walk at all after dark, 
without danger of falling into some of them. 
A saltish kind of mineral water was also 
brought up from the city, and was said to 
have been obtained from an Artesian well. 

A great many of the women and children 
came over, bringing with them wheat bread, 
sweet potatoes, and clothing, which they would 
throw over the line, when the guards were 
turned with their backs toward them. They 



294 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had orders to stop anything of the kind they 
saw, and some of them were so accommoda- 
ting they would not see if they could, and 
kept their faces turned away purposely, that 
in this way we might receive what the ladies 
brought us for our comfort. 

Unpleasant as our situation was at this time, 
while experiencing the sorrows of blighted 
hope, it nevertheless seemed grand not to be 
confined inside a stockade. But our old friend, 

THE DEAD LINE, 

seemed determined to follow us wherever we 
went. A rebel soldier, with a horse and plow, 
went round our camp, turning over a light 
furrow a few feet from the sentries' beat ; and 
that was to be all that should mark the line 
between life and death for us. Not even a 
railing was put up, like the one we had been 
conversant with. Soon after this, the whole 
of us were marched out of camp, and after 
staying awhile out, we had the satisfaction of 
marching back again, — done, as we learned, 
to afford a better opportunity of our being 
counted. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 295 

Fifteen of the "hundreds" were finally given 
one day's rations, and ordered to be ready to 
take their departure on the next day ; and it 
was matter of much speculation with us, as to 
where their place of destination might be. 
They started early in the morning for their 
unknown home, but we conjectured that it 
might be Florence, as we learned the rebels 
had another prison there. 

That day was to us one of the old-fashioned 
starvation days, for we had nothing but a 
scrap of fresh beef until after dark at night, 
when we had a little hard-bread given us. A 
Rebel officer came to the prison entrance in 
the afternoon, and called for volunteers to 
work upon fortifications in Charleston harbor, 
promising, as an inducement, all they wanted 
to eat, besides tobacco and whisky, and threat- 
ening to force them if they should refuse to 
do it of their own accord. I am sorry to say 
that several hundred did volunteer their 
services, and were accepted. It might be 
that they did it with the hope of escaping. 
We could not think they would so violate 
their enlistment oath, "not to render aid or 



296 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

comfort to the enemy," on any other con- 
dition. 

I received a line about this time from Major 
Pasco, of our regiment, who was a prisoner in 
the Roper Hospital buildings, down in the 
city. It was brought to me by the Catholic 
"Sisters of Charity," and made me feel like 
setting down one good deed in their favor, for 
it certainly seemed like an act of kindness 
then. I wrote a reply to the note, and sup- 
posing that it would have to be examined 
before it was allowed to go, I stepped up to 
the Lieutenant who was officer of the guard, 
and explained the case to him, asking him to 
read it, in order to satisfy himself that it con- 
tained nothing contraband. He made very 
slow work of it, and another officer, observing 
it, stepped up, and between them both they 
came to the conclusion that it was all right, 
and I was permitted to send it. 

Several of our boys were sick, and really 
needed to be admitted to the hospital, and I 
used all my endeavors to secure such a result, 
but my efforts were - all fruitless. It was a 
poor place indeed for a man to be sick, with- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 297 

out shelter or medicine, and apparently no 
prospect of having his condition bettered. 
My own right hand was getting to be in a 
very bad condition, arising from a little scratch 
on one of my knuckles, which had spread rap- 
idly, and bid fair to render it unfit ibr use 
speedily, unless something could be done to 
arrest it. My blood seemed in a terrible state, 
and my system full of scurvy, for I had not 
eaten a vegetable of any kind since my cap- 
ture in April, as none were given us, and we 
had no money to buy. It was not long before 
I had to give up the care of the "mess" to 

Sergeant G , as it became impossible to 

do any work at all. In this state, one of the 

SISTERS OF CHARITY 

did a good thing for me. I asked her if she 
would be so kind as to give me some bandages 
for my hand. "Wait a few moments," said 
she; and she immediately went to an ambu- 
lance which stood near the guard line, and 
returned with her arms full of things for the 
men. Coming towards me, she put quite a 
large package of something done up in a 



298 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

snow-white napkin, into my hand, saying that 
was for myself. Thanking her heartily, I 
walked away, wondering what it could be, but 
did not examine the gift until I reached the 
boys. I then undid it, and found it to contain 
some superb home-made wheat bread. I tore 
the napkin into strips for bandages, and ad- 
ministered the bread internally, and with such 
immediate and gratifying results, I went to 
sleep as happy as a king. 

Every day, after this, two or three of these 
Sisters, accompanied sometimes by a dapper- 
looking little Priest, would ride over from the 
city in a two-horse ambulance, which was well 
loaded with good things and brought into 
prison to be dispensed alike to Protestant and 
Catholic. 

To us it was a beautiful sight to see them 
come right in among us, not afraid to approach 
us, dirty and ragged as we were. They would 
have, at least, a kind word for us, but often 
they were attended by some more solid token 
of sympathy, and in the gratitude of our 
hearts we said, "May God bless them for their 
kindness ! " 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 299 

The rebels, it seemed, fully believed that 
"variety" was the "spice of life," for they 
issued in a single day, rice, hominy, corn-meal, 
flour, beans, beef, soap, and salt. It sounds 
very large, but in reality it was very small, for 
no one had enough of each, or all, to do any 
good. 

Early in the morning of the 17th, I spoke 
to an officer respecting my own admission to 
the hospital, and ascertaining there would 
probably be an opportunity, I took my posi- 
tion near the prison-gate, with two of my 
comrades, and waited for the surgeon to make 
his appearance. After a long while he came, 
and as a result of the interview I was admit- 
ted. This was the first time I was ever 
booked in such an institution, and I thought it 
might be the last, for I was much reduced in 
strength, and there seemed to me no great 
prospect of recovery. We had no food that 
day but what was brought us by the kind 
ladies of the city. They brought bread, soups, 
&c., which were divided among us, thus giving 
each quite a taste of good food. The surgeon 
made us a visit in the afternoon, and I was 



300 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

so fortunate as to get my hand dressed by 
him. 

The next day was the Sabbath, but it was 
so painfully unlike holy time at home, that we 
were sad. So great was physical depression 
with me, I had begun to despond, and I won- 
dered if I should ever see home and friends 
again. "We had been deceived so many times, 
I had no confidence in an exchange, and my 
hand was getting so crippled, I was dependent 
on my comrades for even ordinary comforts. 
But Faith reasoned that it was the time above 
all others when I ought to look beyond myself 
to Him who noteth even the "sparrow's fall," 
and whose grace was sufficient for support in 
any and every trial that His trustful ones were 
called to endure. While engaged in these 
soothing reflections, the surgeon came to give 
attention to my hand. It had been growing 
worse, continually, and was now filled with 
gangrene. I began to be sorely afraid that I 
would be obliged to lose it. 

External things did not conspire to render 
my situation particularly pleasant. I could 
hear the church bells ring for service, but the 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 301 

summons was not for me, for I was a prisoner, 
and sick. I knew that our forces were not 
very far away, for there was heavy shelling 
upon the city, all the day, but they were igno- 
rant of my condition, and could not help me 
if they were not. 

Our hospital had really no claim to any 
such title. The treatment we received was a 
mere farce. I longed to gain admission to 
one of the city hospitals, that I might have 
more of some things which seemed absolutely 
indispensable to my recovery. There we 
were, about four hundred patients, sleeping 
upon the bare ground, with no covering fur- 
nished us at all, and no tents but such as we 
could make, of the few threadbare blankets 
that we had held on to, since our capture. 
Every afternoon the Surgeon, a young physi- 
cian from the city, would pay us a visit, 
sometimes bringing with him a few diarrhea 
powders in his pocket, or a few drinks of 
whisky in a little stone jug. We very much 
needed acids, for the scurvy, but these, he 
declared, it was impossible to obtain. We 
thought he would have done more for us if it 
13 



302 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

had been in his power, but merely good inten- 
tions were simply aggravating, when men 
were dying as they were there. A large 
number of the strongest men were returned 
to the prison, on Monday, and their places 
filled by other sick ones, but many of them, 
however, were in no worse condition than 
some who were sent away. I now submitted 
my hand to the painful operation of severe 
cauterizing, hoping by some means to stay 
the progress of the poison. 

About this time we were called to experi- 
ence, what seemed to us, simply an 

ACT OF INHUMANITY. 

An order was issued from head-quarters, 
for the hospital camp to be moved at a greater 
distance from the camp of the 5th Georgia 
regiment, and in the midst of a drenching 
rain, the sick men had to strike their blanket 
tents, and put them up again as best they 
could, upon the wet, soaked ground, in the 
new position. We were told by an officer of 
the guard that there was considerable yellow 
fever in the city, and that we were moved 
from fear of contagion. It may have been 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 303 

so, but the following day brought us a repeti- 
tion of the same suffering. 

Early in the morning everybody who could 
walk, no matter how sick, was ordered inside 
of the prison camp again, and so, several 
hundred of us, poor fellows, had to totter in 
as best we could, many, only to die soon after 
getting there. No reason was assigned for the 
heartless transaction. How we longed to 
hear from the flag* of truce boat which had 
been sent clown the harbor, or from the meet- 
ing of the exchange commissioners. 

I found a welcome asylum in the tent of 
three of our regiment, who promised to take 
care of me until I was better, if that time 
should ever come. We received, at length, 
some vinegar with our rations, but in exceed- 
ingly small quantities. Some of the boys 
kindly gave me what was assigned to them, 
and by putting them together I had quite a 
drink, that I hoped would tell favorably upon 
my diseased hand. But it was not so easy to 
gain relief. My sufferings became so intense 
that I was finally admitted to the hospital 
again, where I was told that it was impossible 



304 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

to save my hand, and that I must submit to 
amputation. I was sick at heart to think of 
losing it, but concluded that I must do it, or 
lose my life, and therefore I chose to have it 
performed. I was sent for, and taken out to 
the amputating room, which was in the lower 
part of the building formerly used as specta- 
tors' stand, at the great races. Upon arriving 
there I found several Surgeons, with the 
requisite instruments at hand, and also a 
crowd of Confederate officers and soldiers, 
who had pressed in to witness the operation. 
One beside myself was present to undergo 
similar treatment, which was also rendered 
necessary by gangrene. He was selected as 
the first victim, and in a few moments he was 
stretched upon the floor, with the chloroform 
at his nostrils. It took some time to get him 
sufficiently under its influence to begin the 
work, but as soon as the prospect justified the 
attempt, the young Surgeon in charge of us, 
applied the knife and the saw, and in a very 
short time the arm was off, and lying beside 
the unfortunate man. The arteries were 
quickly taken up, the blood sponged off, and 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 305 

the stump properly bandaged. The patient 
now began to arouse himself, as if from sleep, 
and seeing blood upon the face of the Sur- 
geon, he began to laugh. 

"Aha! old boy," said he, "your arm is off, 
did you know it ?" He glanced at the place 
where once he had a strong right arm, and 
seemed surprised to find it gone. A little 
whisky was then given him, and he was 
removed. 

I stood by, looking on, during the whole 
operation, laboring with the unpleasant con- 
viction that my turn came next. The Sur- 
geons then came to me and carefully exam- 
ined my hand. The one in charge of the 
prison hospital was in favor of amputation, 
but the other three, who were old, gray- 
headed men, differed from him, and the final 
decision was not to cut it off then, but to give 
it a little longer trial. What moments of sus- 
pense were those, and with what a rejoicing 
heart did I leave that room, when I found 
that I was not to part with my good right 
hand, the value of which I had never known 
before. 



306 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

I received, about this time, $5.00 in Con- 
federate money from our kind-hearted Major, 
and a similar amount from our Adjutant, 
both of them being confined in one of the 
city prisons. The money and letters were 
both brought me by the Sisters of Charity, 
and they also carried back my messages to 
them in reply. I invested this money in veg- 
etables, knowing their great value in cases 
of scurvy. 

A rebel sutler came up every day from the 
city, with one or two wagon loads of bread, 
sweet potatoes, radishes, salt, and other arti- 
cles, which he sold at quite reasonable rates, 
considering the high prices that were de- 
manded for everything in the Confederacy. 
His price for bread w T as fifty cents for a small 
loaf, and twice the amount for one a little 
larger. Sweet potatoes were $10.00 a bushel; 
cooking soda $10.00 per pound; pepper, in 
the berry, $20.00 a pound ; radishes, ten for 
$5.00, and other articles in the same propor- 
tion. These prices, however, were in Confed- 
erate currency, which was worth but little 
compared with Uncle Abe's "greenbacks." 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 307 

One dollar of the latter was worth seven of 
the former. At Anderson ville it had been 
five to one, We thought it something to be 
proud of, that our money commanded so large 
a premium in the very heart of the Confede- 
racy. The loaves of bread which we bought 
for one dollar, were about the size of a five 
cent loaf at home, and he would have charged 
more for them, as well as his other things, had 
not Lieut. Col. Iverson, the rebel commander, 
checked him in his exorbitant demands, and 
forbid him taking any more than would be 
required for the same things in the city. 

This was one good quality in the rebel, we 
thought. This officer was a young, boyish- 
looking fellow, but one glance at his face 
revealed a great deal of decision and energy, 
and his soldiers obeyed him unhesitatingly, as 
indeed they did all their officers, down even 
to their Corporals. I never saw but one 
instance of disobedience of orders by a rebel 
soldier, and that was at Charleston, when the 
men had crowded rather too closely upon the 
"dead line," at the prison entrance. Col. 
Daniels, of the 5th Georgia regiment, seeing 



308 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

it, stepped up to one of the guards and 
ordered him to lire into us. He replied, "I 
can not do it, Colonel." a I order you to fire 
into those men," repeated the Colonel, sternly, 
and again the soldier said, " Colonel, I can not 
do it." The Colonel said no more, but turn- 
ing on his heel, he walked rapidly away, and 
I never knew whether the soldier was pun- 
ished for his disobedience or not. 
The name of 

THE YOUNG SURGEON 

in charge of the prisoners, was Yarmony, and 
he was what was usually termed, "a fast 
young man." He wore a tasty looking Con- 
federate uniform, but seemed to care nothing 
at all which side was successful in the war. 
He had been, in other times, a medical student 
in New York city, and said "he'd like to be 
there again." We generally thought he did 
what he could for us, considering the limited 
means at his disposal, but there was one thing 
the doctor could not possibly do, and that 
was to speak without badly stuttering. One 
of the hospital attendants was the fortunate 
possessor of a medium sort of violin, and he 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 309 

used frequently to tune his instrument and 
strike up a lively piece, much to our gratifica- 
tion. It happened that the Doctor was a great 
lover of music, and the melodious strains came 
to his ear one day, when he was making his 
rounds among the sick. From that time until 
we left, he made it his daily practice, after 
making his examinations and prescriptions, to 
come round and have some favorite air played 
for his special benefit. There was one lively 
thing, in particular, which he very much liked, 
and which he called the "I-I-rishman." The 
first thing he would say, usually, after sitting 
down, would be, — "C-c-come, F-F-Ferguson, 
p-play us the I-I-rishman ;" so he would give 
him this and other lively pieces. Then he 
would say, "N-now p-play something s-soft;" 
and then something of this sort would follow, 
much to the Doctor's edification. 

Still again he would urge, "S-s-sing some- 
thing." It so happened that Hope, a member 
of our regiment, was also on duty as an attend- 
ant in the hospital, and he was widely known 
as the boy who could sing a song or dance a 
jig equal to any one. The Doctor, being told 



310 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

of this, turned to him, saying, " C-c-come, Hope, 
s-s-sing us s-s-something, n-never mind w-w-what 
it is." Hope wished to be excused, but no ; 
the Doctor would not hear of any excuse, so 
without saying anything more, he sang the 
following "true blue" Union song, to the music 
of "The Sword of Bunker Hill." 

Sadly we gazed upon that Flag, 

Torn from a brother's hand ; 
And shed a tear for those once loved, 

Now joined to traitor's band. 
They have left the Flag of Washington, 

The Flag our Fathers gave ; 
A richer boon was never given, 

No prouder flag to wave. 

But when Jeff. Davis raised his hand, 

To marshal for the fight, 
Six hundred thousand freemen rose 

To battle for the right. 
Then to our God the prayer went up, — 

Protect our noble band! 
God bless our cause ! — our Flag now waves 

Within the traitor's land. 

Down, down with that base Rebel Flag ! 

Tread it beneath your feet ; 
And gaily to the breeze unfurl 

That Flag we love to greet. 
Wave on, wave on, thou glorious Flag ! 

And still our song shall be, 
Long live, long live that good old Flag, — 

Three cheers, three cheers, for thee! 

The Doctor seemed not at all displeased 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 311 

with the sentiments of the song, bnt if he 
were, he very quietly kept it to himself. 

The shelling of the city continued the whole 
time we were there. During the day the ex- 
plosion of the shells would not be heard on 
account of the noise hi the camp; but at 
night, when all was still, we could distinctly 
hear the booming of the cannon, and the 
scream of the shell from the moment it left 
the muzzle of the gun, until it fell, with a 
crash, into some building of the city, and 
there exploded with a dull sound. The papers 
claimed that no lives had been sacrificed, but 
we heard from Union people that a great 
many had been killed, and that a large part 
of the city was entirely uninhabited. 

Receiving no medicine one day, we learned 
through the Surgeon that one of our shells 
had visited the office of the Medical Purveyor 
and rendered it necessary to remove it to a 
safer place ; consequently, the usual issues * 
were withheld. 



312 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 



THE YELLOW FEVER 



began to rage fearfully, and many of the offi- 
cers and men among our guards, of the 5th 
Georgia Regiment, died of it. It did not make 
its appearance, however, among the prisoners, 
until about the 1st of October. Two of the 
hospital attendants were then seized with it, 
and were at once removed to a place used 
solely for such cases. Then commenced our 
removal from Charleston to Florence, which 
was prosecuted with as much rapidity as pos- 
sible, and we were not sorry to have a long 
distance intervene between us and the dreaded 
disease. About fifteen hundred a day were 
taken, and the last of us left on the 8th. 
Those who were well went first, and the sick 
in the hospital last. I was one of the last to 
leave the spot, and therefore happened to bo 
an eye-witness of a very laughable affair. 
Squads of rebel soldiers and a few of their 
officers were sauntering lazily over the desert- 
ed camp, when suddenly and accidentally they 
made an important discovery. Two of the 
prisoners had got into a well during the night, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 313 

and had been covered over with some old rub- 
bish by their comrades, hoping in this way to 
remain concealed until darkness should come 
again, when they designed to crawl out and 
make for our forces at Port Royal ferry. They 
had either been hastily or carelessly covered, 
and in consequence, one of the "Johnnies" 
had caught a glimpse of them. Of course 
they were immediately unearthed and brought 
forth, looking dirty, and evidently feeling 
rather Gheap to be made the subject of laugh- 
ter both by the rebels and their own men also. 
The rebels now went to work, and probed the 
ground with short sticks, and thus succeeded 
in digging out quite a number of "Yanks" 
who were attempting this underground way 
to freedom. This was an entirely new dodge 
to the rebels, and one which they had not 
dreamed of, and but for that unfortunate 
glimpse, it would have been a success. After 
the ground had been thoroughly canvassed, 
and they were convinced that no more of us 
were stowed away, we were loaded into the 
cars, which were in waiting, and soon sped 
away to Florence and another stockade. 



314 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

That ride I shall never forget. The cars, as 

usual, were simply those which had been used 

for freight, and they were filled to their utmost 

capacity with the sick, many of them so bad 

and helpless as to be brought to the cars on 

stretchers. Most of them were covered with 

filth and vermin, and the odor that filled the 

place where we were was suffocating. As if 

apprehensive that these skeletons, like riches, 

might "take to themselves wings and fly 

away," a couple of guards were placed over 

us, to keep us in the proper sphere. It may 

be, however, that they were not unmindful of 

what had once occurred at Andersonyille, and 

concluded that no precaution could be too 

great. It was the custom in the prison there, 

to carry a man's body to the "dead house" on 

a stretcher, as soon as the breath was gone. 

i 
One day a man so successfully counterfeited 

death, that he was carried out of the gate, 
past the scrutinizing gaze of the guards, and 
deposited in the wonted place with a long row 
of really dead men, where he remained im- 
movable until the shades of night came on, 
when he "made himself scarce." Ever after 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 315 

that, a sentinel was placed over the dead, to 
see that they did not run away. 

At one of the stations between Charleston 
and Florence, the train stopped for wood and 
water. An old darkey woman came out with 
several * pones" of corn-bread for sale at $2 
apiece, in Confederate money. My whole 
worldly fortune consisted of just that amount, 
and as I was very hungry, I concluded to 
invest it in that way. She had only one or 
two cakes left, however, and a score of voices 
were shouting, "This way, Aunty!" — "Let me 
have it ! " — " Here 's your money ! " &c, but by 
dint of great yelling, and continued waving of 
the dirty-looking bill, I finally secured one of 
the " pones," and when I got it, it was nothing 
but meal and water baked before the fire with- 
out any salt ; but it tasted good then. 



CHAPTER IX. 

ARRIVAL AT FLORENCE. 

We made our entrance into Florence, or, as 
we afterward learned, about a mile from it, 



316 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

at ten o'clock in the evening. Here we were 
ordered to leave the cars, and spend the night 
in what had once been a corn-field, making 
onr bed between the furrows. It was a cold, 
frosty night, and we suffered intensely. Our 
guards had bright, good fires, but we were 
neither allowed to come nigh them, or get 
any wood for ourselves ; so all we could do 
was to let our teeth chatter, our knees knock 
together, und wait for daylight and the warmth 
of the sun. When it did rise, we well-nigh 
forgot these things in that other thing it dis- 
closed — the dreaded stockade! 

At about eight or nine we entered the 
prison, and although our sensations were dif- 
ferent than when we entered our Georgia 
prison, yet I think we felt worse now than we 
did then ; for at that time we did not dream 
of being held but a short time, and now we 
were asking ourselves in fear, "Can we live 
here through this winter?" Then, again, when 
we entered Andersonville, we were strong and 
robust, while now, those of us who were alive 
were broken down by long-continued exposure 
to all weather and all diseases. In the sorrow 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 317 

of our hearts, we inquired, "What can the 
government be thinking of, that it leaves us 
here, month after month ?" 

The interior of the prison, in its general 
features, resembled very much our old place 
of confinement. A swampy spot extended 
through the center, with a hill upon each side, 
but in one respect this was far superior, inas- 
much as a fine stream of clear, cold water ran 
through the whole prison. The stockade 
enclosed, it would seem, about fifteen acres of 
land, nearly fiye of which were rendered una- 
vailable by its being so swampy. 

The "dead line" there was marked by a 
shallow ditch, or furrow, having no railing at 
all. Instead of sentry boxes, the guards 
walked upon an elevated beat of earth, which 
was thrown up so high as to overlook the 
camp, — the top of the stockade reaching 
about breast high to a man of common height. 

The enclosure itself was built of unhewn 
trunks of trees, of nearly a uniform length, 
which were let into the ground, and placed 
side by side very closely. No tents or shelter 
of any kind were furnished us. 








TVest. 


1. 


Stockade. 


6. Swamp. 


2. 


Dead Lines. 


1. Causeway and Bridge. 


3. 


Hospital. 


8. Elevated Platform for Ar- 


4. 


Prison Gate. 


tillery. 


5. 


Brook. 


9. Streets. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 319 

When prisoners were first put into it, a 
large number of trees were left standing, but 
they had all been cut down when we entered 
and the stumps were being worked up. Part 
of our regiment were among the first to enter 
at this time, and we improved the opportunity 
to lay in an ample store of wood for the win- 
ter ; beside we were able to build some quite 
comfortable huts with the material we gath- 
ered. The 5th Georgia regiment, which 
guarded us at Charleston, were sent on to 
guard us here. There were also several bat- 
talions of conscripts, or "reserves," stationed 
there for the same purpose. 

We found with surprise and sorrow that 
many of our men had really taken the oath 
of allegiance to the Confederacy, and had 
gone into the Southern army, and that still 
more had signified their intention of doing it. 
Over at our left was a camp which we were 
told was occupied by those prisoners who had 
taken the oath. It was not hard to account 
for it. They were ragged, half starved, and 
death was staring them in the face. 

By entering the Southern army they, no 



3J0 LIFE LN REBEL PRISONS. 

doubt, expected to receive better food, and it 
was their hope and intention, also, to escape 
at the first opportunity. We all shuddered at 
the prospect of staying through the winter 
in the Confederacy, if, indeed, we should live 
so long. 

Our rations, at first, were flour, corn meal 
and beans. We were organized as in Charles- 
ton, into "thousands" and "hundreds," — the 
whole number being about twelve thousand. 

Soon after our entrance, we heard that most 
of our comrades whom we had left behind in 
the Georgia prison, because they were too sick 
to go with us, and whom we had never 
expected to see again, were really in the hos- 
pital, about a mile from us. We had a great 
curiosity to see them, and hear of their adven- 
tures since September, and, indeed, necessity 
seemed to render it quite probable that I 
might be an inmate of the hospital, too, for 
my hand, though better than it had been, was 
still a source of great trouble, and needed 
care. At about four o'clock every afternoon, 
the Surgeon in charge, Dr. Strother, would 
come to the prison gate and take out all whom 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 321 

he thought best to have go. Those who were 
able, walked to the appointed place, and an 
army wagon, drawn by a span of mules, con- 
veyed the rest. 

One afternoon I presented myself at the 
gate, with a score or more of the sick, and 
when the doctor came he kindly admitted me 
to the hospital with the others, although my 
general health was quite good at the time, the 

vegetables I had procured at C having 

infused new life mto my system. I went with 
those who were able to walk, but as most of 
the crowd were lame with the scurvy, we had 
to march at a slow pace to accommodate them. 
We reached the place of our destination just 
before sunset, and found it guarded, and also 
surrounded by a "dead line." Some preten- 
sions to shelter were made, in the shape of 
nine long sort of sheds, made of a frame-work 
of poles overlaid with pine boughs, which 
afforded some protection from the sun, but 
none at all from the rain. 

There were ward divisions, eleven in num- 
ber, and each one was in charge of a ward- 
master, assisted by from eight to ten nurses. 



322 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

There were also seven stewards, whose busi- 
ness it was to receive the medicine from the 
dispensary, and see that it was faithfully 
administered to the sick, of whom there were 
about sixty in each ward. 

Not far from the middle of the month I 
recovered sufficiently to be detailed as a 

HOSPITAL STEWARD, 

procuring the situation quite readily because 
of my knowledge of medicines, having been 
a drug clerk before entering the army. In a 
day or two after this, in company with a num- 
ber of the other hospital attendants, I was 
marched over to the head-quarters of Lieut. 
Col. Iverson, and there signed the following 
parole of honor : 

Head-Quarters, Military Prison, 
Florence, S. C, Oct. 19th, 1864. 
"I, R. H. Kellogg, Sergeant Major 16th Conn. Vols., a paroled 
prisoner of war, do hereby pledge my word of honor that I will 
not violate my parole by going beyond one-half mile from the hos- 
pital limits. 

Witness, C. H. Moody. (Signed,) R. H. Kellogg. 

I now had a good opportunity to observe 
many things, which otherwise I would never 
have known. Whenever I could get away 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 323 

for an hour or so, without neglecting my 
duties, I did so. About this time, Dr. Strother, 
the young Surgeon who had been in charge, 
was taken with the yellow fever, and nearly 
lost his life in consequence. His place was 
supplied by the Assistant Surgeon, Junius 
O'Brien, a Kentuckian, and one of the most 
•rabid secessionists I had ever known. When 
he detailed me as a steward, he asked me what 
State I was from. " Connecticut, sir," was my 
reply. "Well," said he, "lam down on men 
from that State. That's where they make 
wooden nutmegs, isn't it?" "Yes, sir! and 
oak hams, too." I passed, however, notwith- 
standing the unfortunate connection. 

While there we received a large lot of sup- 
plies from the U. S. Sanitary Commission, con- 
sisting of shirts, drawers, hats, shoes, stock- 
ings, slippers, dressing gowns, blankets, bed- 
quilts, besides things for the comfort of the 
sick, such as condensed coffee and milk, 
extract of beef, tomatoes in tin cans, &c. 
These articles were stored in the log house 
used as a dispensary, and one of the prisoners 
placed in charge of them. They were drawn 



324 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

from this place as they were needed, by the 
stewards, and by them given to the ward-mas- 
ters, who issued them to the sick men in their 
respective wards, they keeping an account of 
them as they were expended. The* Surgeon 
and other officers acted very honorably, allow- 
ing nothing to be stolen or wasted. 

The supply of medicines for the sick were 
obtained from Dr. Chisholm, the medical pur- 
veyor at Columbia, S. C. They were limited 
in their variety, and entirely insufficient in 
quantity. What was furnished for a months 
supply, was barely sufficient for half that 
period. When the drugs failed entirely, resort 
was had to the bark of forest trees, of which 
strong decoctions were made. One of the 
principal remedies for diarrhea was prepared 
from oak, sweet gum, and persimmon bark. 
There was also a tonic made from the bark of 
the wild cherry. 

Nearly all the packages of herbs in the 
dispensary, bore the label of the "C. S. A. 
Laboratory," but the quinine, and valuable 
drugs, had on a foreign label, English, I think, 
and undoubtedly found their way into the 
country by way of the blockade runners. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS 325 

A sour beer was made from corn meal, and 
administered to those who had the scurvy, 
with very good effect. But a great many of 
our men died there, and were buried on the 
plantation of Dr. Garrett, a wealthy land- 
holder, and an owner of many slaves, but who 
was said to be a Union man. He offered to 
enclose the ground used as a place of burial, 
by a railing, to preserve it from desecration, 
though I am not aware that it was ever done. 
The dead were carted away from the hospital 
every morning, in an army wagon drawn by 
mules. The deaths amounted to twelve per 
cent, per month of the whole number. As 
in Andersonville, they were piled one upon 
another until the wagon was filled. A party 
of prisoners were at work every day digging 
trenches where the bodies of the dead soldiers 
were to be laid. 

About the 20th of the month the hospital, 
with all the sick, was removed inside the 
stockade, a reason Tor which we never ascer- 
tained. For some time after, the sick were 
without shelter, but by the first of November 
one barrack, or shed, was completed for their 
14 



326 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

accommodation, and preparation made for the 
erection of more. 

These structures would highly excite the 
risibles of a Northern house-builder. Two of 
them were seventy-five feet long, and thirty- 
one in width, without a nail in them. The 
frames were made of timber, cut in the 
swamp near the prison, and fastened together 
with wooden pins. The roof was made of 
"shakes," or shingles held on by heavy poles 
for weights. 

Dr. O'Brien was now relieved of his duties 
as Surgeon in charge, by Dr. David Fludd, 
who was one of the original signers of the 
Secession Act which placed South Carolina 
out of the Union. He was very kind and 
gentlemanly, however, with us, and won the 
respect of all who knew him. 

A number of other surgeons arrived about 
this time, and were assigned to duty in the 
hospital. More patients were admitted also, 
until the whole number amounted to nearly 
eight hundred, so many that they could hardly 
gain sufficient attention to obtain prescriptions 
or have medicine dispensed to them as often 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 327 

as necessary by the stewards. The 5th ward, 
which was assigned to me, had at one time 
over one hundred and fifty patients in it, and 
some of them very sick, to whom I had to 
give medicine, with the help of the nurses, 
three times a day, and sometimes oftener. It 
scarcely allowed me time to eat, and it was so 
with the other stewards. Another supply of 
Sanitary Commission stores reached us while 
in this condition. Among other things a large 
quantity of sheets were sent, some of them 
entirely new, and of fine quality. The sick 
men in the hospital were lying upon the bare 
ground, and these would do them but little 
good to be spread down in the dirt, so it was 
decided by the principal surgeon that they be 
exchanged for sweet potatoes, as these would 
be of more real benefit to the men, especially 
those suffering with the scurvy. A notice to 
this effect was posted in several different 
places, and soon the ladies, young and old, 
were flocking in from all the surrounding 
country, anxious to make the exchange. In 
this way quite a large quantity of potatoes 
was gained and issued to the men in the hos- 



328 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

pital. The old sheets were used for bandages, 
and were invaluable for this purpose, as many 
amputations of limbs, affected by gangrene, 
were almost constantly taking place. Many 
of the ladies who came to the Dispensary to 
examine the goods, were dressed in the height 
of fashion, wearing clothing of the most 
costly material It was difficult to see where 
the war had cost them much personal suf- 
fering 

On each corner of the prison was a raked 
platform ; and from two of these, pieces of ar- 
tillery frowned upon the helpless men inside. 
At all hours of the day and night, a man stood 
by these guns, ready for action in case of any 
attempted outbreak on our part. 

The ladies usually concluded their visits by 
ascending to the top of one of these platforms, 
accompanied by the Confederate officers, and 
there laugh and joke at the misery of their 
enemies. No true lady would have stood there 
and looked with such spirit at the sights before 
them ; but they seemed to enjoy it. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 329 

As the 

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 

drew nigh, the rebels became intensely excited, 
and eager to know the result. McClellan was 
their universal favorite, and they built high 
hopes upon the success of this cause. "If 
McClellan is elected," they would say, "we 
shall have peace in a short time." I never 
remember hearing this candidate spoken of in 
any other terms than those of the warmest 
commendation. 

On the day of election, a quantity of white 
and black beans were given to Sergeant Kemp 
of the 1st Conn. Cavalry, by the Eebel Quar- 
termaster, with the understanding that they 
be used as ballots, whereby the political opin- 
ions of the prisoners might be ascertained : 
the white beans representing McClellan, and 
the black ones President Lincoln. Two empty 
bags were hung up on the stockade, inside the 
a dead line," and the " thousands " were ordered 
to fall in, in succession, and all who wished to 
vote, to march in line .to the spot. Beans 
were given them, and one by one they stepped 
up and deposited their vote as they chose, a 



330 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

man standing by, the while, to see that no 
fraud was committed. It was conducted fairly 
and quietly, but the result was not particularly 
gratifying to those who commenced it. I have 
not the exact figures, but I think the propor- 
tion was two and a half for Lincoln to one for 
McClellan. This was an expression of feeling 
and opinion among men who were ragged and 
half famishing with hunger, yet were not in 
favor of any peace gained by disgraceful com- 
promise. In about a week after this, the 
result of the great contest at the North was 
known, and the rebels were blue indeed. Such 
a set of sour, gloomy-looking fellows is rarely 
met with anywhere. 

They understood the full significance of the 
re-election. They knew with sorrow they 
could not yet lay their armor off, and that 
their favorite hobby of "independence from 
Yankee rule" was far from being realized. 
This vote of the prisoners was all the more 
valuable from the fact that the Administra- 
tion had been constantly misrepresented by 
the Confederate officers, to the men who had 
but little if any means of finding out anything 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 331 

to the contrary. I had myself heard Dr. O'- 
Brien repeatedly say to our men, "Your Gov- 
ernment does n't care anything for you;" and, 
" Your Government will not exchange such of 
you as have served your time out;" and for 
proof of his statements he would refer to the 
refusal of Gen. Sherman to exchange a couple 
of thousand rebels for an equal number of our 
men, held by Gen. Hood, whose term of service 
had expired. " Was it a wonder, then, shut out 
from the world as we were, that the faith of 
many in our Government was changed to dis- 
trust?" 
One of the 

PUNISHMENTS 

at Florence, for attempting to escape, was to 
suspend the offender by the thumbs, with the 
feet from the ground, thus bringing the entire 
weight of the body upon the thumbs. One 
afternoon, while at the dispensary, which was 
outside of the stockade, and but a few rods 
from the guard-house, I was attracted by the 
cries and groans of some one who was evi- 
dently in intense agony. Turning my eyes in 



332 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

the direction of the sound, I saw for the first 
time, one of the prisoners undergoing this ter- 
rible torture. He was hanging from one of 
the beams which projected from the roof of 
the guard-house, swinging in the air, and cry- 
ing, "Oh, for God's sake, have mercy upon 
me ! Let me down ! Oh ! mercy ! mercy ! " 
But mercy was something that his tormentors 
were not blessed with. My blood boiled as I 
witnessed this inhuman punishment, and I re- 
marked that "I would rather be hung by the 
neck, than to be in such misery." One of the 
surgeons heard me say it, and reported it to 
O'Brien, who immediately came to me, and 
wanted to know what remarks I had made. I 
repeated the w r ords I had uttered. "Well," 
said he, in a great passion, "I detailed you to 
assist in the hospital, and not to pass remarks 
upon the doings of the Confederate Govern- 
ment; and if you are not satisfied, you can 
return to the stockade." He continued his 
remarks by saying it was his duty to support 
his Government in all things, and not to ques- 
tion whether they were right or wrong. After 
a long talk upon the enormity of my offence, 




-r- 



LIFE IX REBEL PRISONS. 66 O 

I was allowed to return to duty, Then, prob- 
ably thinking that he would improve the op- 
portunity to the utmost, he assembled all the 
prisoners who were working outside on parole, 
and gave them instructions as to the course it 
was proper for them to pursue. "You can 
think" he said to them, "what you please, but 
you must not express your opinions." 

This was a right he reserved for himself, 
and he was constantly forcing his opinions 
upon us. It was his favorite practice to sit in 
the dispensary by the hour, and recite to us 
tales of shocking barbarities perpetrated by 
our troops ; but he never allowed us to speak 
of a single instance of rebel cruelty. It was 
also particularly distasteful to him to hear of 
any circumstance in which a Yankee got the 
better of a Southerner in any way. But 
things occurred sometimes to show it unto 
him, — as, for example, the following incident: 

The rebel soldiers belonging to the different 
battalions were frequently granted passes by 
Lieut. Col. Iverson, which allowed them to 
come into the prison and trade for gold pens, 
rings, pocket-books, knives, buttons, or any- 



336 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

thing that they could get, giving in return 
sweet potatoes or Confederate money. A 
"Johnnie" came in one day, with a great 
desire to obtain some New York State but- 
tons, which, being very showy, were in great 
demand and high in price. It was quite plain 
that he had traded for them before, as he had 
a full row upon the gray coat he wore, and 
also four of them on the back. While he 
was bargaining with two or three of the pris- 
oners, one of the boys stepped softly up 
behind, and with a sharp knife cut off the 
four upon the tails of his coat. Then pre- 
senting himself in front of the " reb," he said, 
ft I have a few York State buttons that perhaps 
I'll sell you." "Have you?" exclaimed he, 
with evident joy upon his countenance, "Let 
me look at them." Taking them in his hand, 
and carefully examining them, he remarked, 
" They are just like these on my coat," so pay- 
ing a good round price for his own buttons, 
he departed, greatly pleased that he had found 
some "more of that same kind." A small 
group of "mudsills" had a quiet laugh to 
themselves when he was out of sight. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 327 

A few rods from the north side of the 
stockade, was a large camp occupied by 

SLAVES, 

several hundred in number, all under the com- 
mand of Lieut. De Loyle, an engineer officer. 
This man had the sole charge of laying out 
the fortifications, and the slaves performed 
the labor upon them. 

A line of breast-works had encircled the 
stockade in a short time, with a small place at 
each corner, m which to run in artillery. 
Beyond this was still another, and outer line 
of works, with a deep ditch. The slaves 
would commence their work early in the 
morning, and continue until sunset, stopping 
only a short time for dinner. Their overseers, 
or drivers, were black like the rest, and stood 
with whip in hand directing and hurrying up 
the work. If they chanced to see one of the 
men slack at all, they would sing out, flourish, 
ing the whip at the same time, "Sharp dere y 
hoy ; sharp dere!' It seemed their disposi- 
tion to avoid work if it were possible. Sun- 
days all work was suspended upon the fortifi- 
cations, and they sported about in their best 



338 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

clothes, which were none of the finest at that, 
however. 

Evidently, they were a happy, kind-hearted 
race by nature, but they were kept in great 
ignorance, which accounts for some of their 
peculiarities. 

That they were often severely whipped in 
their camp, we know, as the sound of the lash 
was often heard at the dispensary. The reli- 
gious element greatly predominates in the 
colored people generally. At their prayer 
meetings they work themselves up into great 
excitement. One of our boys once overheard 
one of them pray, as follows : " Come down, 
0, Lord, and f row corn in de winder, and sabe 
us, poor darkies, from starbin dis yer winter" 

It was also amusing to hear them sing at 
their work. One of them, apparently a leader 
among his brethren, would perform the solos, 
and the rest would come in on the chorus, 
keeping time all the while as they pounded 
away on the breast-works. The following is a 
specimen of the richness of their songs: 

" Possum up a gum stump, 
Coonies iu de holler, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 339 

Wake snakes, an June bugs, 
I'll gib you half a dollar. 

Chorus. 
Go 'long squirrel, hum de doodle dum, 
Go 'long squirrel, hum de doodle dum, 
Wid yer head upon yer shoulders, 
And yer feet upon der land, 
I don't know de reason yer don't go 'long." 

One verse of another is as follows: 

"Aunt Sister Sal, she had a flea, 

She hung him up and skinned him, 
Carried him down to de shootin' match, 

And Uncle Ben, he win him. 

Chorus. 
And Uncle Ben, he win him, 
And Uncle Ben, he win him, 
Carried him down to de shootin' match, 
And Uncle Ben, he win him. 

Our own condition, in prison and hospital, 
was still melancholy. Death was still busy 
among us, choosing its victims as it saw fit 
Rev. Mr. Gardner, of the 135th Ohio regiment, 
died in the early part of November. He was 
one to conduct the religious meetings at 
Andersonville, and also frequently held short 
services over some of the poor boys who died 
there. His illness was a severe and protracted 
one, and we mourned for him, for he was 
known and respected by all, but we knew that 



340 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

his sufferings were over, and that he had 
gained eternal rest and peace. The Chaplain 
of the 5th Georgia regiment now preached 
to us occasionally, and he also sent a great 
many tracts to be distributed among the 
patients in the hospital. They were printed 
by a Southern society, which issued religious 
publications, and were quite interesting. It 
was gratifying to us to see some of our ene- 
mies taking so much interest in us, as this, 
but in things relating to our physical need we 
were left to suffer. 

About the middle of the month, the rations 
of the ward-masters, and other hospital attend- 
ants, were greatly reduced. Before this, we 
had received plenty of flour, beans, corn meal 
and salt, with an occasional issue of fresh beef, 
but now a bakery and cook house were con- 
structed outside, and we received what we 
had, already cooked, but greatly reduced in 
quantity. At this same time, our comrades in 
prison were only getting a pint of coarse corn 
meal, with the smallest modicum of salt occa- 
sionally. We were not allowed to carry any 
of our food to them, and if we ever did it, it 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 341 

was by stealth, in order that it might not be 
detected by the inquisitive gaze of Dr. O'Brien, 
who was always on the alert to discover such 
things. Sometimes the rations of the whole 
camp would be discontinued, for some trifling 
excuse. I remember one occasion, when the 
prisoners went without food for sixty hours, 
and this, too, when the regular diet was simply 
a pint of meal. The pretense was, that two 
tunnels had been dug by the prisoners, and 
everything must be cleared up before any 
food could be given. 

The overseer of the prison was Lieut. Bar- 
rett, of the 5th Georgia regiment, and any 
one who was ever in that stockade, will always 
remember him. It seemed that a greater 
wretch never lived. Capt. Wirz surpassed 
him in cruel inventions to enhance our misery, 
but he did not equal him in coarse brutality. 
Like Capt. W., he constantly used the most 
profane and blasphemous language, and de- 
lighted in drawing his pistol and firing it over 
the heads of the crowd. 

The 24th came round — Thanksgiving day at 
home, and so I thought it there, for, although 



342 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

I had nothing but a crust of bread for dinner, 
I was so fortunate as to receive two letters 
from home, giving me the first and only infor- 
mation I had of my friends since the previous 
April. I learned that all was well there, but 
they were ignorant of my condition, and 
knew not whether I was really alive or not. 
Two days after this, the long looked for time 
arrived; — the time when we were to be 
exchanged, or rather paroled, preparatory to 
such an act. The news of such proceedings 
came to us only an hour before the work 
began. At about one, P. M., a number of Con- 
federate officers, accompanied by several clerks, 
and a small guard of soldiers, came into the 
hospital. Two tables were provided, and 
upon these the rolls were spread out. The 
masters of the different wards, in turn, called 
off the names of the patients as they stood on 
the roll-book, until fifty from each ward had 
been paroled ; making three hundred and fifty 
in all. One well man was then paroled, to 
each company of ten sick ones, as attendants. 
These were selected by the rebel Surgeons, 
from the hospital nurses, &c. It was in this 



LIFE IN REBEL 'PRISONS. 343 

way I obtained my freedom. No man was 
allowed to go, who could not walk up to 
the table and sign the parole papers, and for 
this reason scores of poor fellows were left 
behind, while their comrades who were 
stronger, passed out before them. The paper 
to which we signed our names, as nearly as I 
can recollect, read as follows : 

V We, the undersigned, do solemnly pledge our sacred word of 
honor, that we will not take up arms again in any garrison, fortifica- 
tion or field work of the United States, or do any police or con- 
stabulary duty, or any duty usually performed by soldiers, until we 
shall have been duly declared exchanged." 

Having done this, it was said we would 
leave for Savannah on Monday. It all seemed 
like a pleasant dream, but we had been 
deceived so many times, it was impossible to 
remove all doubts from the mind. However, 
I determined to act as if it were a reality, and 
accordingly I went over to the prison in the 
evening, and told the boys to have their let- 
ters and messages ready the next day, if they 
wished me to carry them to their friends at 
home. 

We were busy all day Sunday in getting 
the patients in readiness to leave. A special 



344 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

requisition for soap was made by the surgeon 
in charge, and the nurses were ordered to see 
that the men who were to leave were scrubbed 
clean with soap and water, and, if possible, to 
have them shaved and their hair trimmed. 
This was done so as to render them presenta- 
ble to our forces at time of delivery. One of 
the men in my ward, who was paroled, died on 
Saturday night. Exchange came too late for 
him, as it did for many others. 

Shortly before sunset on Monday, we were 
marched out of the stockade, and encamped 
for the night near the cook-house ; and here, 
two days' rations were issued to us. 

That night we had a jolly time. No guard 
was placed over us, and we were left to do 
just as we pleased. 

While we were there, two rebel soldiers paid 
us a visit. One of them kept a sharp lookout 
lest they should be seen or heard by some of 
their officers, and the other carried on quite a 
conversation with us. "They knew we were 
going home," he said, "and wished us to go 
with correct impressions of the true state of 
things among them." "My Father always 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 345 

taught me to love the Stars and Stripes" 
he continued, "and never to raise a hand 
against them ; but I am here in the Southern 
army because I can not help myself, and there 
are hundreds of men in the army who feel as 
I do, but it will not do for us to let our opin- 
ions be known. We are living under a com- 
plete military despotism." That he was sin- 
cere and truthful in his expressions, I have no 
doubt. 

We were aroused at two o'clock in the 
morning, and marched over to the railroad 
track, a distance of half a mile, where the roll 
of the entire body of paroled men was called, 
after which we were loaded into the *train, 
which had arrived in the meantime. Fifty- 
five prisoners and two guards were placed in 
each car. Dr. Orme, of Milledgeville, Ga., 
went with the train, and he did his duty well. 
A large tub was put in each car, and a body of 
men detailed to keep them filled with good 
water. 

We had started from Florence at sunrise, 
and arrived at Charleston after dark in the 
evening, having been all that time in running 



346 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

a distance of one hundred and three miles. 
We waited a long time at one station, and 
upon inquiring into the cause of the delay, 
we were told by the engineer that he had 
been running faster than schedule time al- 
lowed, and therefore he must wait awhile. 

We stayed about two hours in the last-men- 
tioned place, and then left on another train for 
Savannah. While on the way, we passed a 
train loaded with Union prisoners. We had 
an opportunity to speak with them, and 
learned that they had been confined at Black- 
shire, S. C, and were on their way to Florence 
from Savannah, where they had expected to 
be exchanged, having been previously paroled. 
We did not know what to make of this, and 
began to doubt quite seriously whether we 
were, even now, to realize our hopes. We 
made very slow progress, but finally reached 
the city of our destination, where we found 
great excitement in regard to Sherman's ad- 
vance, his army being only forty-five miles 
distant. The negroes and citizens were hard 
at work, throwing up light earth-work defen- 
ses, such as the General's veterans would 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. % 347 

laugh at. What we could see of the city, 
gave us very good impressions. The streets 
were wide and straight, and lined with beauti- 
ful trees, known as the " Pride of India." The 
houses were neat and handsome, and indicated 
taste and refinement on the part of their pos- 
sessors. Here we were taken from the cars, 
to spend the night on the corner of Liberty 
and East Broad streets, in a vacant lot. 

Some of the citizens came to see us. I had 
a short conversation with a wealthy cotton- 
factor, in which he said, "I have not handled 
a gun yet, and I do not intend to ; and as for 
Gen. Sherman, I'm not at all alarmed about 
his coming, for I have nothing to fear from 
him." 

The next morning the weather was clear 
and pleasant, and we marched down to the 
dock not long after sunrise, where three 
steamers were in waiting for us, and we imme- 
diately went on board. Here the old women, 
who made it a point to avail themselves of 
every opportunity to sell something to the 
soldiers, presented their baskets filled with 
pies, cakes, &c, and the boys, full of glee at 



348 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

the prospect before them, were ready for a 
little fun, and therefore made corresponding 
offers, such as $100 in Confederate money, or 
three cents in silver, for a piece of pie, — a dis- 
tinction in the value of currency that some of 
the Southern bystanders did not relish partic- 
ularly. 

The names of the respective steamers were 
the "Beauregard," " General Lee," and "Jeff. 
Davis " The first carried the officers, and was 
also the flag-of-truce boat. The two latter 
carried the enlisted men. They were steered 
by three rudders. 

At about nine o'clock A. M. we started from 
the dock, the "Beauregard" carrying the flag 
of truce in advance, and the other two follow- 
ing at a respectable distance in her wake. 
Just before leaving, Dr. Orme said to Hospital 
Steward Heed of the 12th N. Y. Regiment, 
"You can tell your people at home just as 
bad stories as you please about the manner in 
which you have been treated, — anything that 
will hasten an exchange, for we want our men 
badly. But don't represent that we are nearly 
whipped, for, as long as there is a pine tree 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 349 

left for us to sleep under, we will fight you." 
The Dr. was indulging in this same style of 
bombast one day in the hospital, when he was 
reminded by one of the ward-masters, a brave 
Ohio boy, that "they didn't talk in that style 
at the front." Upon that, the Dr. thought 
best to subside. 

To return to our trip. The distance from 
the city to our fleet was about twelve miles, 
and we reached Venus Point, the rendezvous, 
at ten o'clock. On our way down the river, 
we were passed by an iron-clad steamer dash- 
ing up toward the city at a rapid rate, — the 
same "Savannah," I think, which was blown 
up by the rebels on the surrender of the city 
to Gen. Sherman. Another formidable mon- 
ster of iron was anchored in the stream near 
Fort Jackson. 

The river just below the fort was obstructed 
by rafts of timber, &c, leaving but a narrow 
channel to pass through. Only vessels of light 
draft could pass at all. The one I was in 
struck something which threw it up a foot or 
two, but did no serious damage at all. Hav- 
ing passed through this, we soon found our- 



350 LIFE IN REBE1, W PRISONS* 

selves nearing our own noble fleet, and there 
was oar Flag, flying from the rigging of a 
large steamer. It was impossible for us to 
gaze upon that precious emblem of Freedom 
with dry eyes. It was a touching sight to see 
the upturned faces, the eager gaze of our men. 
Never before was that flag so dear to our 
hearts. How insignificant and contemptible 
in comparison was the flaunting Rebel rag 
that had so long been displayed to us. 

The "Beauregard" steamed up side of one 
of the vessels, and held communication with 
those on board, while we lay off in the stream 
awaiting the result. Capt. Hatch, the Eebel 
Exchange Agent, finally signalled to our 
steamer, and in a few moments we were 
alongside one of our transports, the "Star of 
the South," ready to go on board. 

When we stepped our feet upon her decks, 
we breathed easily, and not before. The as- 
sertions of the rebel officers that our Govern- 
ment would not receive men whose term of 
service was out, led us to doubt whether we 
should meet with any reception at all, or be 
turned back to linger yet longer in rebel hells. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 351 

At the time of our parole, the rebel officers 
had taken, as far as practicable, those men 
•whose time had expired, evidently intending 
to cheat the Government as much as possible; 
and one of the examining Surgeons also took 
out some of the men for bribes, obtaining in 
this way gold rings, greenbacks, &c. Two of 
my own comrades succeeded in making their 
escape in this way. 

Moored on the river with the steamer al- 
ready named, were the "New York" and the 
"Crescent." The one first mentioned was 
styled the "receiving ship," and we went on 
board that when we left the rebel craft. From 
there we went to the second one, as fast as 
circumstances would allow, that being desig- 
nated the "clothing ship." 

Here we were called upon to divest our- 
selves of our wretched garments and throw 
them all away, and we saw the miserable rags 
float down the river without the least feeling 
of regret, — and our old companions, the lice, 
also. We washed ourselves in water dipped 
from the cold stream, and though it caused 
some shivering sensations, we were heartily 
15 



352 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

glad of an opportunity to be clean once more. 
As fast as this was clone, we were marched in 
a row to the counter, where each man was 
given a new suit of Uncle Sam's blue, and a 
good pair of shoes. Being thus washed and 
clothed, and "in our right minds;' we were 
allowed to go on board the "Crescent," which 
was the ft feeding ship." There we received 
our first meal of army food, and what a feast 
it was. We could not find words strong 
enough to express our admiration ; — and that 
pint of hot coffee; — it was fit ambrosia for 
the gods and goddesses ; nectar — which in- 
spired one with happiness and contentment. 

I doubted if there was ever a happier 
crowd than we were that night. Some 
danced, others sang, and every one was full 
of jokes and good humor over our fine for- 
tune. 

"How is this," says one, "are we going to 
another stockade?" "Not muchly, I guess," 
responds the one thus interrogated. 

"How are you, corn meal?" says another, 
"that's played, isn't it, Tom?" "If I know 
myself, it is," gaily replies Tom. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 353 

Still another, thinking of home, says, "I 
.wonder how we'll find things up North, and 
I'd like to know if my girl has gone and mar- 
ried another, while I've been down in our 
Georgia pen!' He had been a prisoner a long 
time, and it would be no wonder if he had 
long ago been given up by his friends as one 
dead. 

One group might be heard singing "Just 
before the battle, Mother," and other patriotic 
airs, and still another company were engaged 
in looking at the rapid steps of one of the 
boys, who was dancing a jig, and in this way 
some of the abundance of good feeling escaped. 
No sooner did one tire than another took his 
place, but there were many who were too 
weak to indulge in any such active demon- 
strations of joy, but who sat with a quiet 
smile upon their thin faces, drinking in all the 
fun that was going on about them. 

In the exuberance of our joy, I trust we 
did not forget to thank Him, who from on 
high had watched over us in all our ways, and 
had finally brought us deliverance. 

From the "Crescent" we went on board the 



354 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

transport " Gen. Lyon," and when we finally 
weighed anchor, we felt that we were leaving the 
Confederacy for the pleasanter scenes of our 
northern homes ; getting into "God's country" 
once more, as the boys called it. No tears 
were shed as the land of the traitor faded 
away in the distance, but only congratula- 
tions were heard, and hopes expressed that 
we might never be called to sojourn there 
again. 

After we had passed Fort Pulaski, and were 
well out upon the ocean, there came up a 
fresh gale of wind, and the sea was rough. 
It was not long before many were seen lean- 
ing over the side of the ship, evidently 
inclined to part with the good things they 
had so warmly praised a little time before. 
The sailors enjoyed the rough condition of 
affairs, and doubtless looked with supreme 
contempt upon us poor landsmen, who were 
able to endure so little. 

As we were proceeding, our steamer stop- 
ped to overhaul a small schooner, which had 
run the blockade with about eighty bales of 
cotton. The first mate, with a boat's crew, 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 355 

went on board of her, but after taking an 
inventory of her cargo, they returned, allow- 
ing her to pursue her course. Why it was 
done we did not know, but it was probably 
for good reasons, or at least, so considered. 
But Capt. Ward was heard to say, he would 
send somebody after them who would take 
care of them. The next day was beautiful, 
with fine sailing, and we were going in just 
the right direction for us. Nearly all sail was 
set, and under the combined influence of wind 
and steam, we sped along right merrily — 
"Homeward Bound." We saw several sails in 
the distance, in the morning, and at noon one 
of our naval vessels sailed near us, when one 
of their officers put a speaking trumpet to 
his lips, and hailed us with the enquiry, " Who 
are you?" , J. "Transport, Gen. Lyon," replied 
our Captain, "with paroled prisoners." "Where 
are you from V continued they. " From Sa- 
vannah river," we told him, with the additional 
information that we had fallen in with a block- 
ade runner the clay before. "Where?" "Off 
Charleston.'^ "All right, sir," said they, and 
off. they_ went in pursuit of it. We continued 



356 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

our course, and passed Cape Hatteras at about 
eight o'clock in the evening. The sea at 
this point was very rough, and our steamer 
rolled and pitched in a way that was any- 
thing but delightful, but were we not near- 
ing the long wished for port, and should trifles 
vex us ? 

Just before reaching Fortress Monroe, we 
passed a large school of whales, which were 
spouting and blowing in all directions. They 
came very near to the steamer ; so near that 
we could plainly see their backs as they 
sported about in the water. We remained an 
hour or two at this place, so well known in 
the history of the war, and then weighed 
anchor again, bound for Annapolis, Md. As 
we arrived at this latter place, or neared the 
dock, we were greeted with "Hail Columbia," 
from the Marine Band, and its cheering strains 
never fell upon the ears of more grateful list- 
eners, for we felt that it savored strongly of 
"Home?' We were soon on shore, and well 
cared for, and now, we said, "our troubles are 
all over." There we received two months' 
pay, and commutations of rations for the 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 357 

time we had been in prison, at the rate of 
twenty-five cents a day, and this was followed 
by the happy sequel for us,— a thirty days' 
furlough. 



Rations issued by the United States Government to Rebel Pris- 


oners 


of War.— (Note the difference.) 


Hard Bread, 


14 oz. per one ration, or 18 oz. Soft 




Bread, one ration. 


Corn Meal, 


18 oz. per one ration. 


Beef, 


14 « u u 


Bacon or Pork, 


10 " " " 


Beans, 


6 qts. per 100 men. 


Hominy or Rice, 


8 lbs. " " 


Sugar, 


14 « « « 


R. Coffee, 


5 " ground, or 1 lbs. raw, per 100 


or 


men. 


Tea, 


18 oz. per 100 men. 


Soap, 


4 " " 


Adamantine Candles, 


5 candles per 100 men. 


Tallow Candles, 


6 « u 4< 


Salt, 


2 qts. *' " 


Molasses, 


1 qt. « " 


Potatoes, 


SO lbs. 



Statement of Clothing issued to Prisoners of War, at Fort Dela- 
ware, from Sept. 1st, 1863, to May 1st, 1S64, 
7,175 Pairs Drawers, (Canton Flannel,) 
6,260 Shirts, (Flannel.) 
8,807 Pairs Woolen Stockings. 
1,094 Jackets and Coats. 
3,480 Pairs Bootees. 
1,310 Pairs Trowsers. 
4,378 Woolen Blankets. 
2,680 Great Coats. 
Average number of prisoners, 4,489. 



CHAPTER X. 

LIBBY. 

From the corner of a dingy brick building 
in one of the streets of Richmond, Va,, may 
be seen a small sign, which tells to the passer 
by, that "Libby & Son, ship chandlers and 
grocers," have invited their patrons to this 
point, as the one where their business was 
conducted, and where those must repair who 
were interested in bargains particularly asso- 
ciated with their vocation. It was not of 
sufficient importance, in time of peace, to 
obtain a very wide celebrity, neither were the 
owners thereof so distinguished as to be of 
great notoriety, *but as the inauguration of 
war has inducted many into office who were 
hitherto obscure and unknown, so the contin- 
gencies of our civil strife, has opened this 
place to the public gaze, and made it famous, 
or rather infamous, before the world, beside 
conferring a lustreless fame upon the propri- 
etors. \ The very name^of Libby has become 
synoncmous : with that of 2 terror ; i it carries 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 359 

tyranny and oppression in its simple sound. 
The soldier who is taken prisoner in Virginia 
vales, is at once haunted with visions of this 
darksome den, and shrinks from entering a 
place so full of bitter experiences as that is 
known to be. 

Fierce hate and revenge reign supreme 
there, and consequently there is wrought out 
a system of discipline which produces a condi- 
tion, such as we might expect when the dis- 
cordant elements of being rage unchecked, 
and we are not surprised to find the culmina- 
tion reached in almost fiendish expression. 
Thousands who have been in Libby prison, 
will rehearse the story of their misery, want 
and woe, to others; these will pass them 
along to other listeners still, so that the echo 
will scarcely die out at the remotest period of 
the present generation. Households, in com- 
ing time, will gather about the fireside, and 
talk of their friends and ancestors r «who ended 
their days in so much wretchedness, because 
of their attachment to the Union, and in pro- 
portion as their bravery and heroism, their 
courage and constancy is admired, will the 



360 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

malice and fury of their persecutors be con- 
demned. 

It may be 9 and probably is, one of the es- 
sentials of war, that places be provided for the 
confinement of prisoners, but they do not 
necessarily include every species of torment 
which the human mind is capable of conceiv- 
ing. They should not naturally presuppose 
the absence of all humanity, and the annihi- 
lation of every condition of comfortable ex- 
istence, as they have seemed to, in almost 
every part of the South where the Confeder- 
ate authorities have opened them. 

Says one of the 16th Conn. Regiment, who 
was in Libby for a season, " Their treatment of 
prisoners was very abusive, kicking them, and 
never speaking of one only in the most oppro- 
brious terms. 

The nights were very cold, and there being 
nothing but gratings in the windows, the men 
were obliged to walk the whole night long, to 
keep from freezing, and if they could meet the 
friendly embrace of slumber at all, it was 
during the day, when the sun would shed its 
kindly beams upon them, and so imparting 






LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 363 

sufficient warmth to their bodies to keep them 
rom shivering." 

We have an idea of their utter destitution 
when we listen to the statement he makes re- 
specting the manner of their obtaining the 
food which they must have in some way, or 
perish. 

"I have seen men," he says, "draw their 
bean-soup in their shoes, for tho want of a 
cup, plate, or anything of the kind to put it 
in." And what seemed worse than all the 
rest, was the almost Satanic rule, that if a 
man was caught resting his eye upon the glad 
scenes of nature through a window, he must 
bo quickly translated from earth by the ball 
of a musket. The whole thing is arbitrary in 
the extreme, but we could expect little else 
under the very shadow of the Confederate 
Capital, where the original framers of seces- 
sion go in and out, seeking to form a dynasty, 
though it be founded in the tears and blood, 
the cries and groans of their fellow-men. Of 
the numbers who have been admitted within 
the walls of the Libby building, we can 
scarcely speak, for multitudes have been con- 



364 LIFE m REBEL PRISONS. 

veyed thither temporarily, to remain only until 
such time as they could be transported to other 
places. Very many thousand have found a 
transient home here, and their united testi- 
mony is the same. 

One who visited the place for the purpose 
of ascertaining the truth for himself, has given 
the result of his visit in one of the leading 
journals of the day, and we give the descrip- 
tion of it in his own words, as affording the 
best outline we have been able to get. 

"It was three stories high, and, I was told, 
eighty feet in width, and a hundred and ten 
feet in depth. In front, the first story was on 
a level with the street, allowing space for a 
tier of dungeons under the sidewalk ; but in 
the rear, the land sloped away till the base- 
ment floor rose above ground. Its unpainted 
walls were scorched to a rusty brown, and its 
sunken doors and low windows, filled here and 
there with a dusky pane, were cobwebbed and 
weather-stained, giving the whole building a 
most uninviting and desolate appearance." 

Upon passing inside, he says, "We entered 
a room about forty feet wide and a hundred 






LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 365 

feet deep, with bare brick walls, a rough plank 
floor, and narrow, dingy windows, to whose 
sash only a few broken panes were clinging. 
A row of tin wash-basins, and a wooden trough 
which served as a bathing-tub, were at one 
end of it, and half a dozen cheap stools and 
hard-bottomed chairs were littered about the 
floor, but it had no other furniture. And this 
room, with five others of similar size and ap- 
pointments, and two basements floored with 
earth and filled with debris, compose the fa- 
mous Libby Prison, in which, for months to- 
gether, thousands of the best and bravest men 
that ever went to battle have been allowed to 
rot and to starve. 

"At the date of our visit," he continues, 
"not more than a hundred prisoners were in 
the Libby, its contents having been recently 
emptied into a worse sink in Georgia; but 
almost constantly since the war began, tsvelve 
and sometimes thirteen hundred of our officers 
have been hived within those half-dozen deso- 
late rooms and filthy cellars, with a space of 
only ten feet by two alloted to each for all the 
purposes of living. 



366 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

Overrun with vermin, perishing with cold, 
breathing a stifled, tainted atmosphere, no 
space allowed them for rest by day, and lying 
down at night ' wormed and dove-tailed to- 
gether like fish in a basket,' — their daily ra- 
tions only two ounces of stale beef and a 
small lump of hard corn-bread, and their lives 
the forfeit if they caught but one streak of 
God's blue sky through those filthy windows, 
— they have endured there all the horrors of 
the middle passage. My soul sickened as I 
looked upon the scene of their wretchedness. 
If the liberty we are fighting for were not 
worth even so terrible a price, — if it were not 
cheaply purchased even with the blood and 
agony of the many brave and true souls who 
have gone into that foul den only to die, or to 
come out the shadows of men, — living ghosts, 
condemned to walk the night, and to fade 
away before the breaking of the great day 
that is coming, — who would not cry out for 
peace, for peace on any terms?" 

We need no other proof of the true noble- 
ness of soul in the young men of our country, 
than the voices which come ever and anon 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 367 

from these forbidding prison-places, telling us 
of a quenchless love for the cause of right ; of 
a devotion and fervor that knows no abate- 
ment 3 and a willingness to do and to dare, to 
suffer and to die, that the tyrant of oppres- 
sion may be crushed, and the glad hosannas of 
Freedom ring through the land, and reverber- 
ate among the hills ; that we may have, not a 
"circle within a circle," but one that is contin- 
uous, unbroken, clasping in its mighty embrace 
a free, happy, and united people. 



CASTLE THUNDER. 

Who that is conversant with English history, 
does not know of the Tower of London, and 
the gloomy associations of that place ? The 
mind is thronged with dark and mournful 
memories, at mention of its name ; and so in 
coming time will Castle Thunder appear to 
the mind and memory of the American. That 
place, where all manner of cruelty has been 
practiced, will not be forgotten. Even in the 



368 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

immediate locality, and among the rebels them- 
selves, it has a most unfavorable reputation, 
life there being considered well nigh the cul- 
mination of earthly misery. But the length 
of time that prisoners were confined there, 
with some other circumstances, render it a 
place of less note than many other places, 
and less is said about it. Eebel convicts, 
Northern deserters and citizens, Southern 
Union men and negroes, are confined there, 
and there is a vast deal of suffering and a 
great amount of inhumanity experienced and 
practiced. 

Southerners generally make a broad distinc- 
tion between the common class of people and 
those they consider gentlemen, such as occupy 
a place in the aristocratic ranks of society ; 
and this disposition was manifest in their 
treatment of men at the place of which we 
are speaking. Persons of the worst character 
were congregated there, but these men were 
usually singled out, and elevated to a different 
sphere, where they received something of the 
consideration their superior dignity entitled 
them to ; where less tyranny was shown, and 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 369 

more privileges accorded than to the general- 
ity of the prisoners. 

The "gratuitous indignities " which have 
been heaped so unmercifully upon the soldiers 
in some prisons, were not showered upon 
them there. But woe was upon many of the 
unhappy prisoners. The very name is sug- 
gestive of inflexible rule ; of stern authority 
and inexorable law, which might not be tram- 
pled upon without the bolts of Justice falling 
upon the head of the offender. 



BELLE ISLE. 

Howard Leedom, of Co. G, 52d N. Y. Regi- 
ment, was taken prisoner at Orange Grove, 
near Chancellorsville, in November, 1863, and 
was carried immediately to Richmond, and 
from thence to Belle Isle, and through him 
we obtain a glimpse of the fearful tragedies 
acted there. 

"The space occupied by prisoners is about 
six acres, enclosed by an earthwork three feet 



370 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

in height ; within this space were confined as 
many as ten thousand prisoners. The part 
occupied by them is a low, sandy, barren 
waste, exposed in summer to a burning sun, 
without the shadow of a single tree; and in the 
winter, to the damp and cold winds up the 
river, with a few miserable tents in which, 
perhaps, one half the number were protected 
from the night fogs of a malarious region ; 
the others lay upon the ground in the open 
air." 

The officers of nearly all the Southern 
prisons seem to have imbibed the spirit of the 
prime leaders of the rebellion, and therefore 
show out the same ruling purpose in their 
treatment of prisoners, which appears to be 
nothing else than present misery and ultimate 
unfitness on a broad scale, in the case of those 
with whom they have to deal. 

The history of the subject of this sketcn is 
similar to that of thousands of others who 
have dwelt upon this lonely island in James 
river. He was conveyed thither as the coldest 
and most inclement season of the year was 
approaching, and instead of being allowed to 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 371 

retain what little he had that was conducive 
to comfort, even this was taken from him, and 
he was left in utter destitution. His captors 
took from him his blanket, and even the 
gloves on his hands and the shoes on his feet, 
substituting for the latter, however, a misera- 
ble pair, so filled with rents as to be scarcely 
an apology for a covering, affording almost no 
protection from the cold and frost, as will be 
seen, when we are told that his feet became 
badly frozen, and all the toes of one foot were 
lost in consequence. His fortune differed from 
that of some of his comrades, in that he had 
something in the shape of a tent to lie under, 
although it was nothing that would exclude 
the rain, or keep the sleet from falling thick 
about him. Many of them had to lie in 
the open ditch, without anything to impart 
warmth to their shivering bodies; the only 
shadow of protection being a simple embank- 
ment, which was thrown up about them, evi- 
dently designed as their circling boundary. 

It is not strange, under these circumstances, 
that life should become congealed at its 
source, and that it should be written of many, 



372 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

that they were * frozen to death" It is a mel- 
ancholy verdict to render, but it is confirmed 
by more than two or three witnesses, and we 
may therefore judge it to be established in 
truth. The heart is sad, as imagination shows 
those defenceless soldiers, not only bereft of 
their arms, which were so much their pride to 
bear, and their glory to wield, but also 
deprived of every personal comfort and con- 
venience, and condemned to lie down exposed 
to the frowning elements of nature, and the 
still more pitiless abuse of humankind. 

It were scarcely possible to conceive of 
more persistent, wholesale misery, deliberately 
heaped upon men, than the agents of South- 
ern malice have poured upon their Northern 
kindred. The racks and the tortures of the 
Inquisition were terrible, and we shrink back 
with horror as we peruse the history of this 
period, but did they rival in enduring anguish, 
the lingering agonies of these imprisoned 
ones, who are consumed by the slow but cer- 
tain pressure of the foul hand that is upon 
them ? The flames, as they rise from the fast 
kindling fagots, and curl about the form of 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 373 

the martyr, as he is tied to the stake, have a 
power to stir our souls within us to their 
utmost depths, but who will say they are more 
dreadful than the slow burnings which eat out 
the vitals, leaving the tenement of clay a 
mere wreck before the spirit quits its frail 
abode? — or more to be feared than the tight- 
ening of the frosty bands which prevent the 
play of life, as surely as the anaconda's grasp, 
or the tiger's embrace ? 

There are some of these things to be taken 
as the natural consequences of war, and some 
that are not. We know that the "chances 
and fortunes " of war are varied ; that priva- 
tions, exposures and suffering, are the inevita- 
ble lot of those who engage in the service ; 
but we seldom hear our willing soldiers com- 
plain of these. It is the inhuman, inexcusa- 
ble treatment they receive as prisoners. 

They bear their misfortunes "bravely and 
patriotically," complaining not of their gov- 
ernment, or of their fate, only blaming the 
conduct of their merciless enemies, and can 
we wonder at this ? 

The object of their hate in the case of the 



374 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

one of whom we have been speaking, suffered 
severely, merely escaping starvation and 
death. A little time on the Island sufficed to 
make him a proper subject for the hospital, 
into which he was taken to become the victim 
of pneumonia. There, as well as in prison, he 
knew what it was to experience hunger, with- 
out anything to gratify the insatiable demand 
of the system. Not even corn bread was 
given him in sufficient quantity to appease 
the gnawing within, meat was a luxury 
granted only at intervals, sometimes once a 
day oftener but once during the week. 

His frozen feet received daily attention at 
certain seasons, while again, for days together, 
they went with nothing done to soothe the 
intensity of pain occasioned by the neglect. 
He survived to tell the story of wrong and 
sorrow, but multitudes found their graves on 
the island of the James. In history it will be 
placed side by side with other places of rebel 
notoriety, and it will excite the same emo- 
tions in the hearts of those who shall read 
the records. Associations will ever linger 
around Belle Isle, of no pleasing character. It 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 375 

matters little how fair or how uninteresting 
it may be by nature, the name will start a 
train of melancholy reflections whenever it 
is alluded to. War has introduced it to the 
public gaze, but only as a place where "sharp- 
toothed unkindness" has played upon man- 
kind to the death. 



SALISBURY PENITENTIARY. 

The Salisbury Penitentiary, in North Caro- 
lina, was originally designed as a place of pun- 
ishment for Southern soldiers, guilty of milita- 
ry offenses, and as a place of committal for 
hostages, and all those captives the rebels 
desired to lose in forge tfulness. Later in the 
history of the war, it came into more gen- 
eral use, and thousands of prisoners found a 
home there, not unlike, in feature and charac- 
ter, to many others furnished by the Confed- 
erate authorities, in their so-called Southei % n 
empire. When a household was first gath- 
ered there, the administration of affairs by 
those placed over it, was comparatively mild. 



376 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

The members thereof were allowed the privi- 
lege of exercising in an open enclosure, two 
hours each day, thereby reaping the benefit 
of the exhilarating influences of nature, and 
many other things conspired to render con- 
finement tolerable and imprisonment endura- 
ble. In process of time, however, there came 
a most unwelcome change. The inmates were 
compelled to submit to a state of things that 
was highly revolting. Apparently, the rebels 
were sorry they had allowed even a shadow 
of comfort to rest upon the poor men, and 
therefore went systematically to work to 
lessen it. 

That we may better obtain an insight into 
this prison den of the South, we transcribe 
the testimony of Mr. Richardson and Brown, 
both widely known as being prominently asso- 
ciated with the public press. They were con- 
fined in this place, each of them, for a consid- 
erable length of time, and the following state- 
ment was made by the former before the com- 
mittee of the conduct of the war : 

"I was captured," he says, "on a hay bale in 
the Mississippi river, opposite Vicksburg, on 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 377 

the 3d of May, 1863, at midnight." After 
experiencing a season of confinement in six 
different prisons, and thus enlarging the circle 
of his knowledge in regard to the peculiar 
discipline of Southern officials, he was finally 
sent to Salisbury, on the 3d of February, 
1864, where he remained until the 18th of 
December, of the same year, when he made 
his escape, thus gratefully terminating his 
unhappy and unwilling connection with a 
people who had no sympathy w T ith his views, 
and no feelings in unison with his own. 

"For months," he says, u Salisbury was the 
most endurable prison I had seen ; there were 
600 inmates. They were exercised in the 
open air, comparatively well fed, and kindly 
treated. Early in October, 10,000 regular 
prisoners of war arrived. It immediately 
changed into a scene of cruelty and horror \ it 
was densely crowded, rations were cut down 
and issued very irregularly ; friends outside 
could not even send in a plate of food. 

The prisoners suffered considerably, and 

often intensely, for the want of bread and 

shelter; those who had to live or die on 
16 



378 LIFE IN KEBEL PRISONS. 

prison rations always suffered from hunger; 
very frequently one or more divisions of 1000 
men would receive no rations for twenty-four 
hours j sometimes they were without a morsel 
of food for forty-eight hours. 

A few who had money would pay from five 
to twenty dollars in Rebel currency for a little 
loaf of bread. Many, though the w r eather was 
very inclement and snow frequent, sold the 
coats from their backs and shoes from their 
feet. I was assured, on authority entirely 
trustworthy, that a great commissary ware- 
house near the prison was filled with provis- 
ions. The Commissary found it difficult to 
find storage for his corn and meal ; and when 
a subordinate asked the post commandant, 
Maj. John H. Gee, u Shall I give the prisoners 
full rations ? " he replied, with an oath, "No! 
give them quarter-rations." 

" I know from personal observation," he con- 
tinues, " that corn and pork are very abundant 
in the region about Salisbury." 

For weeks the prisoners had no shelter 
whatever; they were all thinly clad, thousands 
were barefooted, not one in twenty had an 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 379 

overcoat or blanket, many hundreds were with- 
out shirts, and hundreds were without blouses. 
One Sibley tent and one "A" tent were fur- 
nished to each squad of 100 ; with the closest 
crowding, these sheltered about half the pris- 
oners. The rest burrowed in the ground, 
crept under the buildings, or shivered through 
the night in the open air upon the frozen 
ground. If the rebels, at the time of our 
capture, had not stolen our shelter-tents, blan- 
kets, clothing, and money, they would have 
suffered little from cold. If the prison author- 
ities had permitted them, either on parole or 
under guard, to cut logs within two miles of 
the prison, the men would gladly have built 
comfortable and ample barracks in one week ; 
but the commandant would not consent, — he 
did not even furnish one-half the fuel needed. 
The hospitals were in a horrible condition. 
More than half who entered them died in 
a few days. The deceased, always without 
coffins, were loaded into the dead-carts, piled 
on each other like logs of wood, and so driven 
out to be thrown in a trench and covered with 
earth. The rebel surgeons were generally 



380 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

humane and attentive, and endeavored to im- 
prove the shocking condition of the hospitals; 
but the Salisbury and Richmond authorities 
disregarded their protests. 

On the 25th of November, many of the 
prisoners had been without food for forty-eight 
hours, and were desperate, without any ma- 
tured plan. A few of them said, "We may as 
well die in one way as another ; let us break 
out of this horrible place." Some of them 
wrested the guns from a relief of fifteen rebel 
soldiers, just entering the yard, killing two 
who resisted, and wounding five or six others, 
and attempted to open the fence, but they had 
neither adequate tools or concert of action. 
Before they could effect a breach, every gun 
of the garrison was turned on them, the field- 
pieces opened with grape and canister, and 
they dispersed to their quarters. In five 
minutes from its beginning, the attempt was 
quelled, and hardly a prisoner was to be seen 
in the yard. The Rebels killed sixteen in all, 
and wounded sixty. Not one-tenth of the 
prisoners had taken part in the attempt, and 
many of them were ignorant of it until they 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 381 

heard the guns. Deliberate, cold-blooded mur- 
ders of peaceable men, where there was no 
pretense that they were breaking any prison 
regulation, were very frequent. 

Our lives were never safe for one moment. 
Any sentinel, at any hour of the day or night, 
could deliberately shoot down any prisoner, or 
fire into a group of them, black or white, and 
never be taken off his post for it. 

I left about 6,500 remaining in garrison on 
the day of my escape, and they were then 
dying at the average rate of twenty-eight per 
day, or thirteen per cent, a month. The sim- 
ple truth is, that the Rebel authorities are 
murdering our soldiers at Salisbury by cold 
and hunger, while they might easily supply 
them with ample food and fuel. They are 
doing this systematically, and I believe are 
killing them intentionally, for the purpose ei- 
ther of forcing our Government to an exchange, 
or forcing our men into their own army." 

In harmony with the above is the testimony 
of Mr. Brown, also a correspondent of the 
Tribune. 

"I have often wished," says this gentleman, 



382 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

"that I could obtain a photograph of that 
room in Salisbury prison, for I can give no 
idea of its repulsiveness and superlative 
squalor. 

The prison was formerly a cotton-factory, 
about ninety by thirty feet, and when we 
were there, they had only six or seven hund- 
red confined within its walls. A dirtier, smo- 
kier, drearier and more unwholesome place, I 
had never seen, than the room in which we 
were placed. It reminded me of some old 
junk-shop in South street of the city I had 
left, and was hung round with filthy rags, tat- 
tered quilts and blankets, reeking with ver- 
min, which the wretched inmates used as 
clothes and bed-covering, and thronged mostly 
with Northern and Southern citizens, most of 
whom were in garments long worn out, and 
as far removed from cleanliness as the wearers 
from happiness. 

In that abhorred abode we were compelled 
to eat and sleep as best we might. There 
were but two stoves, both old and broken, in 
the room, and they gave out no heat, but any 
quantity of smoke, which filled the apartment 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 383 

with bitter blueness. Vermin swarmed every 
where; they tortured us while we tried to 
sleep on our coarse blankets, and kept us in 
torment when . awake. No light of any kind 
was furnished us; and there we sat night after 
night in the thick darkness, inhaling the foul 
vapors and the acrid smoke, longing for the 
morning when we could again catch a glimpse 
of the overarching sky." 

How many who have escaped from these 
pestiferous places in the South, will follow him 
who utters these words, with heart-felt appre- 
ciation, while he tells what he and they have 
thought and felt. 

"Think," he says, "of this death-life month 
after month ! Think of men of delicate or- 
ganization, accustomed to ease and luxury, of 
fine taste, and a passionate love for the beau- 
tiful, without a word of sympathy, or a whis- 
per of hope, wearing their days out amid such 
scenes. Not a pleasant sound, nor a sweet 
odor, nor a vision of fairness, ever reached 
them. They were buried as completely as if 
they lay beneath the ruins of Pompeii or Her- 
culaneum. They breathed mechanically, bvt 



384 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

were shut out from all that renders existence 
endurable. Every sense was shocked perpet- 
ually, and yet the heart, by a strange incon- 
sistency, kept up its throbs, and preserved the 
physical being of a hundred and fifty wretched 
captives, who, no doubt, often prayed to die. 

Few persons can have any idea of a long 
imprisonment in the South. They usually 
regard it merely as an absence of freedom, a 
deprivation of the pleasures and excitements 
of ordinary life. They do not take into con- 
sideration the scant and miserable rations that 
no one, unless he be half-famished, can eat ; 
the necessity of going cold and hungry in the 
wet and wintry season; the constant torture 
from vermin, of which no care or precaution 
can free one ; the total isolation ; the supreme 
dreariness, the dreadful monotony, the perpet- 
ual turning inward of the mind upon itself, the 
self-devouring of the heart, week after week, 
month after month, year after year." 

Such are some of the horrors of our cruel 
war, — horrors thrust upon us by the unprinci- 
pled and designing leaders of a wicked rebell- 
ion, who thirst for power and conquest, regard- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 385 

less of the cost by which they expect to obtain 
them. 

They hesitate not to pass through rivers of 
anguish and seas of blood, if it be necessary 
to the accomplishment of their unhallowed 
purposes, and in view of it, one can scarcely 
forbear saying with Cowper, — 

" Let eternal infamy pursue 

The wretch, to naught but his ambition true." 



EALEIGH. 

Statement of Hospital Steward Butler, of 
the 16th Conn. Regiment, respecting the 
prison at Raleigh, N. C, where he was con- 
fined. 

"This was comparatively a favored place, 
and any one going thither from Andersonville, 
Millen, or Florence, could say, 'The lines have 
fallen to me in pleasant places,' so great was 
the contrast. Doubtless this was owing, in 
some measure, to the strong Union element 
that existed in the vicinity. The expressions 



386 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

of feeling with other manifestations, convinced 
us that this was the reality. Had the authori- 
ties allowed the people to contribute freely to 
the wants of the prisoners, it is not improba- 
ble they would have fared a great deal better 
than the rebels themselves, but the citizens 
were not allowed to visit them, or send them 
luxuries of any kind. Although this was 
strictly prohibited, and the reiteration made 
constantly, that nothing but ordinary fare 
should be allowed the captives, yet the friends 
of the Union and the soldier, outside the 
prison walls, did contrive, in various ways, to 
minister to the wants and add to the comfort 
of the men. 

The ladies of the city were not at all 
inclined to that insulting, abusive manner, 
which was characteristic of their more south- 
ern sisters. It was not uncommon for them, 
while passing the hospital, to throw in bouquets 
through the open windows to the poor sick 
ones. Many similar acts of kindness and 
esteem were thus unostentatiously performed, 
so that we felt that it was quite to the praise 
of the good people of Raleigh that we were 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 387 

treated with so much consideration and 
respect. 

Instead of the loathsome and repulsive 
prison pen, the abode of filth and indescriba- 
ble wretchedness, Ave had comfortable bar- 
racks. Instead of the inhuman and barbarous 
usage to which our fellow soldiers had been 
subjected in other prisons, we were kindly 
and courteously treated, receiving the same 
attention as the rebel sick and wounded, with 
the exception of those things we have named 
as restrictions. 

The hospital was large, commodious and 
well ventilated. Beds were provided, and 
comfortable clothing allowed. The food was 
wholesome, and doubtless as good as could be 
procured, under the circumstances. 

Adjoining this building was a large yard, or 
rather field, where our men had plenty of 
room to walk and exercise. Games, also, 
could be instituted to relieve the monotony 
of continued confinement. 

Our own men were placed in the hospital 
as attendants, and they also acted therein 
under the direction of the Surgeon, as occa- 



388 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

sion might require. This officer was a very 
good man, and did all in his power to make 
the situation of the men comfortable who 
were suffering from disease. The supply of 
medicines was quite good, and all reports and 
statements concerning things in the hospital 
were received without the least intimation of 
distrust or lack of confidence, for unlike some 
of whom mention has been made, we could 
rely upon their word when once pledged to 
us. The men who died in their hands were 
decently buried,' something that can not be 
said of the thousands who perished at Ander- 
sonville, for they were buried in a manner 
that reflects everlasting disgrace upon the 
vaunted " Southern chivalry" 



CAMP LAWTON. 

The following is the testimony of 
Goodyear who was removed 

from Andersonville, Ga., to the prison known 
as Camp Law ton, near Millen, in the same 
State, on the 1st of November, 1864. It was 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 389 

pleasantly situated, about eighty miles north 
of Savannah, in a country where pine forests 
abounded. Indeed these were a prominent 
feature in the external surroundings of many 
of the Southern prisons. Trees would be 
felled, a clearing made, and here located the 
rude structure that was to be the cheerless 
home of thousands for long, weary months. 
Could a voice be given to these silent groves, 
and they become witnesses of what they had 
seen and heard, what revelations would be 
made of things that can never be known now! 
The medium of human language fails to 
convey all the meaning involved in prison 
life in the South. It is true that a great 
part of the suffering in this present war, 
as in all wars, must forever remain with the 
secrets of unwritten history. A few who were 
themselves actors in the tragic scenes, may 
rehearse the story of their individual experi- 
ence, and thus furnish, as it were, a key to 
unlock the gates through which others may 
enter and take a look. This is the only way 
in which the people at large can become ac- 
quainted with this thrilling portion of the war, 



390 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

and authentic and reliable statements are 
therefore of deep interest and importance. 

Forty-four acres of ground were enclosed 
by the stockade at Millen. The large pine 
timber which was cut down at the commence- 
ment of operations, for building the prison, 
was left upon the ground, and when the first 
prisoners went into their confinement there, 
they found these to be greatly to their advant- 
age, for they were able to construct for them- 
selves comfortable huts of the logs and 
branches lying about them In this respect 
they were more fortunate than many, or most 
others. The last division that entered had no 
shelter at all, or at least, of any account. A 
small stream of good water ran through the 
center, which the men highly prized, particu- 
larly as it afforded the much needed privilege 
of bathing. 

At the time of my arrival there, the list 
of prisoners numbered nine thousand. The 
weather was very cold and stormy, and as the 
majority of the men were very poorly clad, 
many of them being without shoes, blankets 
or coats, and also without shelter, the suffer- 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 391 

ing was very great. No medicine was issued 
to the men within the stockade, and but very 
few were taken outside to the hospital, conse- 
quently the mortality was fearful. The num- 
ber of deaths averaged from twenty-five to 
thirty-five per day. The prevailing diseases 
were such as are common to almost all prisons 
— the scurvy, diarrhea and rheumatism. It 
was no uncommon occurrence for the morning 
light to reveal the pallid faces of three or 
four prisoners who had laid down side by side, 
showing that death had claimed them all 
during the night. Such sights were heart- 
rending to the most unfeeling ; the most sto- 
ical. A 2>r is oner is condemned to these things, 
and there is no alternative but for him to gaze 
upon them however sad and revolting they 
may be. He must steel himself against 
that which once would have sent sympathy 
through his whole being — a gushing tide. It 
could not be that the fountain of pity be stir- 
red to its depths so often, Nature could not 
sustain the pressure, therefore it seems that 
the whole is something like a martyr process, 
in which the very juices of life are crushed 



6VZ LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

out by an uncontrollable force. At the begin- 
ning of my stay at Millen, the rations which 
were issued were double the amount we had 
at Andersonville. We drew one pint of meal, 
six ounces of uncooked beef, six spoonsful of 
rice, one tea-spoonful of salt, as our allowance 
for twenty-four hours. Beans were sometimes 
substituted for rice, but these were so much 
eaten by insects that they were often thrown 
away without being tasted. After a little 
while, however, the quantity decreased every 
day, so that they became nearly as small and 
poor as those issued in other prisons. 

The prospect of being exchanged or paroled 
was so small, that some availed themselves of 
the opportunity to take the oath of allegiance 
to the Confederate government, and entered « 
the rebel service. The inducements which 
were offered them to do this, were three 
bushels of sweet potatoes, a suit of clothes, 
and one hundred dollars in Confederate scrip. 
I was myself acquainted with quite a number 
who did this, and although I would make no 
excuse for them, I know the motive by which 
they were actuated. They saw no chance of 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 393 

getting out of prison alive. They had barely 
clothes to cover their nakedness, and they 
thought to prolong existence in this way, and 
coupled with this was the idea of escaping 
and fleeing to the Union lines at the very 
first opportunity But the whole thing was 
considered a mean, disgraceful act, by every 
true patriot. I would have died a dozen 
deaths rather than to have been guilty of 
such a thing, and there were thousands of 
others of the same mind. 

As the time of the Presidential election 
drew near, the rebels expressed a desire that 
we should vote upon the question ourselves. 
Accordingly ballot boxes were procured, and 
on the day when the people of the North 
Were deciding the momentous issue, we gath- 
ered together in Millen prison, and in the 
midst of great excitement, gave expression to 
our political preferences. We knew that it 
was war or peace. As we deposited our votes, 
so did we speak for one or the other, and 
show forth our position in the country's cause. 

At sunset the votes were counted, and the 
result was 3,014 votes for Lincoln, and 1,050 
for McClellan. 



394 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

It was evident by the deafening cheers of 
the men, that, though broken in constitution, 
their devotion to the noble cause was firm and 
unalterable. 

The guards by whom we were surrounded 
were more humane than any that had been 
placed over us at any other point. It was a 
common practice with us to discuss freely the 
matters relating to existing troubles, and also 
to trade with them in various little things. 
An old comb, with half the teeth broken out, 
would bring about a dollar's worth of provis- 
ions, and knives, forks and spoons would bring 
an almost fabulous price. 

One thing that was done there is quite char- 
acteristic of rebel barbarism. A surgeon would 
examine the sick, and take their names as those 
to be paroled, and then would go away and sell 
the poor man's chance to whoever had money. 
Hard-hearted as this may seem, it was never- 
theless carried on to a considerable extent. 

We were finally told that it was necessary 
to remove all the prisoners to some other lo- 
cality. We were curious to know what it 
meant, and one of the men sought information 



LITE IN REBEL PRISONS. 395 

from the guard. "What are you in such a 
hurry to remove us for?" said he. "There is 
a right smart heap of Sherman's men coming 
down through here/' said the one thus inter- 
rogated, "and we must tote you away before 
he gets here." They were determined to ex- 
ercise vigilance in this respect, and keep us 
within their embrace, if possible. We might 
be given up a prey to Death, — this was of 
little account, for in the silence and inaction 
of such a state, they had nothing to fear, — 
but to have us returned where there was the 
slightest probability that we should ever bear 
arms against them, this was something they 
wished to prevent, and assiduously sought 
to do. 



396 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 



THE COUNTRY'S SACRIFICE. 

As we conclude the sad story of suffering in which our youthful 
soldiers have borne 90 conspicuous a part, we are compelled to pause 
and admire their noble endurance, their cheerful sacrifices, and pat- 
riotic devotion to country amid want and hardship. They deserve a 
rich and lasting tribute, but we feel that Sacrifice finds but poor ex- 
pression in human language, though it should be 

l> In thoughts that breathe, and words that burn,"— 

for heart-struggles and heart-histories can not be written with the 
pen, or spoken by the lips. There is no appropriate outward mani- 
festation for them, nothing to mark the strength and energy of work- 
ing which characterize the inner experience of those who are exer- 
cised by them. 

That the present war in our land, with its varied calls to duty, has 
caused more of this severe inward struggle than will ever be known, 
w r e do not question. Doubtless many went forth actuated by the 
love of novelty, the desire of adventure, a thirst for excitement, a 
hope of glory, and fondness for pro-motion ; but aside from all these, 
there went a body of men who formed, as it were, a mighty wave of 
patriotism, rushing down from Northern hills to Southern plains, fill- 
ing the would-be-conquerors with terror and dismay. The spirit of 
sacrifice marked them at the beginning. " What if we find a sol- 
dier's grave," said they, — "What if we sleep upon the field of strife, 
unknown and unnoticed, provided we fall in the discharge of duty to 
country and to God ! " This feeling was wide-spread, and every de- 
partment of labor turned out its representatives. The merchant 
went from his damasked surroundings, from measuring off silks and 
laces for the dainty children of Fashion ; the artist laid aside his 
brush and easel, and turned his back upon the charming studio ; the 
man of culture turned from his literary pursuits upon which he had 
counted so much ; the student, whose delight had been to linger in 
classic halls, was suddenly animated with new zeal that must needs 
be cooled, or heightened on the "broad field of battle." 

The professional aspirant for honor ceased to wed ambition, took 
a broader look, and went into the service of his country; while the 
poet, who had found nis soul chiefly blessed in the utterances of lips 
" wet with Castalian dews," felt that he must slake his thirst at other 
fountains, — and he, too, was seen on the way. 



LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 397 

The minister at the sacred desk felt the new cause blending with 
Ms own ; the mechanic and the artisan laid their tools to rest, and 
took others of a different character, wherewith they might strike for 
Liberty and Right j and everywhere the sturdy yeomanry declared 
themselves ready to do or die in so noble a cause. They laid them- 
selves upon the altar of sacrifice, — and who shall tell how rich the 
offering, how precious the incense, that went up therefrom ! If it 
be wise to talk of anything pertaining to mortals, as being worthy 
to be recorded "as with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond," 
then might choice paragraphs be culled from the sacrificial records 
of these times, for posterity, ages down, to admire. The nobility of 
manhood has been vastly increased thereby, and lofty purposes and 
sentiments been written that do honor to mankind. 

It is true, the voice of lamentation is heard for those who are not. 
There is mourning for the many who have fallen upon the field of 
battle, and the thousands who have died in prisons and hospitals ; 
but if it be true that men live in actions more than in moments, in 
deeds more than in years, it may be these have accomplished more 
for the cause in which they were engaged, by their death, than they 
could have done in life. 

A leaf of geranium, withered and faded, lay upon the table as I 
sat musing upon these things, and the fragile thing, broken from its 
Stem, suggested points of contrast between itself and that living, 
breathing plant of human society, which had been torn from the 
place where it had been wont to grow, and made to droop and die in 
consequence. A fragrance, rich and sweet, came from the crushed 
and bruised leaf, more diffusive by reason of pressure, and it raised 
the inquiry, whether there might not be, after all, holier and more 
blessed influences attending the hidden properties which a mighty 
power had wrung out of the heart of the nation, than would have 
been apparent if it had never been subjected to such a process ? 

The delicate juices which conveyed such odor to my grateful sen- 
ses, were as a voice that told how the country had been enriched by 
what had been evolved in the struggle to which it was called, and 
haw individuals had been blessed, because the springs had been 
touched which opened the cells where the most precious incense was 
stored. 

Altogether, it whispered of the power and blessedness of sacrifice, 
for it made manifest the value of those costly offerings which have 
been laid upon the nation's altar, and which so many have thought 
to be made in vain. It invested the sighs, tears and groans that 



398 LIFE IN REBEL PRISONS. 

have been involved, with a peculiar sacredness, for they have no 
unimportant mission to perform in creating the more fragrant atmos- 
phere which is to surround the people of coming time. More, indeed, 
has been demanded, than was anticipated. Had the veil been up- 
lifted in that day when the few thousands thought themselves suffi- 
cient to annihilate the opposing host, and the long catalogue of 
death, disaster, and disappointment been seen, who but would have 
started back, appalled at the terrible sight? 

Who, in the prospect, would have thought he could pass through 
the fiery ordeal, certainly without being crushed, never to rise again? 
Standing then upon the hill-top and looking out with prophetic vision 
upon scenes of carnage that were to drench the virgin soil with blood ; 
with keen sensibility of hearing, listening to the wailing and lamenta- 
tion that w.as to be known through the land, — who would not have 
prayed with an agonized heart to be spared from beholding the time 
in fearful reality 9 Such a picture spread bcl'ore us in the summer of 
'61, as the sure embodiment of what was to come, would have filled 
every beholder with dismay, and sent the exclamation to every lip — 
Can it be possible ? 

But such is not Divine appointment Slowly He reveals to men 
what they are to do and to suffer, and with the revelation mercifully 
gives strength to meet it. When He calls to great sacrifices, He 
gives the needful preparation, whether it be to individuals or nations. 
When He has a great work to perform, He provides the necessary 
materials, whether it be in men or means, that the work may be well 
accomplished. Amid, then, all the apparent tumult and discord, the 
trials and sorrows, the fears and sacrifices of these troublous times, 
there is reason why the children of men should comfort their hearts 
and even rejoice, because He who sits upon the throne of the uni- 
verse knows full well the best methods of action, the wisest discipline 
for the times, and is surely pledged to make Right triumphant in the 
end. Peac<j was the watchword at the beginning of His reign, and 
it shall be the crowning glory of the same at the last. Then let the 
fearful and anxious hear a voice from heaven saying unto them — 

" Dismiss thy fears,— the ark is mine.'- 

Let them also hear the words, — Sacrifices are never lost. 



AGENTS. 399 

AG-ENTS WANTED 

As we shall sell this work by traveling agents ex- 
clusively, we call to our aid. all who are willing to 
assist us in circulating this volume through the 
length and breadth of the land. Every man, woman 
and child should peruse these pages, and let the 
truths narrated take firm hold of their minds and 
sink deep into their hearts. 

Old men, young men, soldiers, and ladies!— if you 
will only spread the facts on this subject through 
the entire North, it will raise a storm of indignation, 
the power of which will be felt through the entire 
South, from the banks of the Potomac and Ohio to 
the shores of the G-ulf of Mexico. 

We suppose people will complain of the price of . 
this work as of every thing else. Four years ago 
$1.25 would have been a fair price. We have added 
only 40 per cent. Paper has advanced ISO per 
cent., binders' cloth 400 per cent., binders' board 
190 per cent., gilding lOO per cent. The stock is 85 
per cent, of the cost of making a book. On top of all 
this we have to pay a heavy government tax. The 
book should sell at $2.50. We have lost $6,000 in 
the book business the past four or five years, be- 
sides our time, and the use of $10,000 to $15,000 
on capital; yet we have not made $5300 bad debts. 
We have sold books Jess than cost. This is the 

trouble. Address _ 

L. STEBBINS, Publisher, 

Hartford, Ct. 

C. W. STEBBINS, Columbus, Ohio, General 
Agent for Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. 



400 
ILTIEW 

NATIONAL ENGRAVING, 

FROM A STEEL PLATE, 

ENTITLED "READING THE PROCLAMATION OF EMANCIPA- 
TION IN THE SLAVES' CABIN." 



This is a beautiful illustration of a great event in the world's history 
— the emancipation of slavery in the United States will ever be so con- 
sidered by all civilized nations and for all time to come. 

The sight of this engraving will always produce happy reflections 
in the minds of every Christian and philanthropist, and should adorn 
the dwelling of every family in our country. 

It is the most appropriate illustration that can be made, as it repre- 
sents the onlv way in which the glorious news could reach the down- 
trodden and oppressed slaves, viz. : through the faithful soldier, with- 
out whom the Proclamation would ever have remained a dead 
letter. 

The design is entirely original, by a bank note artist, and is truly 
elegant. The engraving is by one of the best workmen in the coun- 
try, and is superbly executed. 

We want agents to canvass all parts of the country. Liberal com- 
pensation will be given. Sold by agents only. 

Remit S2.50 and we will forward sample print by mail with condi- 
tions to agents, post paid, or will send circular free. 

Size 21 1 by 25 inches, on fine, heavy, plate paper. 

L. STEBBINS, 
flartford, Ct. 



LlbnAnr ur ouiNunL.uu 




013 786 687 



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